Thomas Tuchel Didn't Want $46M Midfielder, Signed Him Only As 'Favor' To His Agent

Thomas Tuchel reportedly didn’t request Chelsea to sign Saul Niguez from Atletico Madrid during the 2021 summer transfer window.

On the final day of the summer market, Niguez moved from Atletico Madrid to Chelsea on a loan deal with an option to make the transfer permanent upon the completion of the loan. Tuchel didn’t want Niguez to join Chelsea but the German boss ended up signing the midfielder only as a favor to the player’s agent, reported Spanish media outlet Cadena SER.

Atletico Madrid are aware that Chelsea do not want to make Niguez’s deal permanent for $46 million next summer.

Niguez made his Chelsea debut in their 3-0 win over Aston Villa in the Premier League, which is his only league start for the Blues to date. In the next five league games, Niguez remained an unused substitute before he received a two-minute game time in Chelsea’s 0-3 victory at Newcastle.

In as many as four Champions League matches, Niguez has so far managed only 25 minutes on the field, all of which came in Chelsea’s 4-0 win over Malmo at Stamford Bridge last month.

Niguez was always going to be down in Tuchel’s pecking order as the team comprises the likes of N’Golo Kante, Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic. It is understood that Niguez wants to prove his worth to Tuchel but the task has become further tough following the impressive recent performances from Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Ross Barkley.

Last month, Niguez bagged his first full 90 minutes at Chelsea during his side’s 5-4 win on penalties over Southampton in the League Cup. Speaking after the game, Tuchel said he was confident by Saul’s display but also admitted that he has concerns over the midfielder’s ability to cope with the intensity of the game.

"Was a good match, a huge step in the right direction for him. I am happy. We thought maybe he would be struggling with the intensity at the 70th minute but he got better and better, had chances and shots. We thought let’s keep him and give him the minutes. It was a good step for him," Tuchel said in a post-match interview.

With 26 points in 11 matches, Chelsea are at the top of the 2021-22 Premier League table. They will next take on Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.