Saul reveals disagreement with Diego Simeone that led to Chelsea loan

Diego Simeone and Saul Niguez of Atletico de Madrid
Diego Simeone and Saul Niguez of Atletico de Madrid

The Spanish midfielder sealed a loan move from Atletico Madrid to Chelsea on the deadline day.

Chelsea managed to sign Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez on a season-long loan on the final day of the transfer window.

The transfer happened in the eleventh hour while the midfielder also revealed that it was a tough decision to leave his boyhood club.

The Spanish midfielder was perhaps subject to interest from Barcelona and Premier League giants throughout the transfer window after Atletico were open to cashing in on him.

Now, Saul has revealed the dispute he had with manager Diego Simone that led to his shocking exit from his boyhood club.

The Spaniard had been acting more as a defensive midfielder and sometimes a makeshift left-back in recent years at Atletico and he wasn’t happy with it.

Simeone was reluctant to change Saul’s position and both had a disagreement over it. 

The 26-year-old said: “I spoke with (Diego) Simeone. I have been playing in different positions for three seasons. 

“I owe everything to Diego and he must be selfish and think of the group. 

“I saw myself stuck in a position that was not mine. Chelsea’s option was to get out of the comfort zone, a challenge.

“Chelsea has promised me to train in my position – to play we will see.”

Saul also added that he later had talks with Simone and Atletico CEO Miguel Angel Gil to train in his preferred position but to no avail.

Saul added: ” I asked Simeone and Miguel Angel (Gil, the CEO) to train in my position. I understand that he refused and from there they decided this. 

“I’ve been here since I was 13 and it’s very hard. I want to take up other movements and positions that I did not perform from the other position. It is the most important reason for my decision.”

It remains to be seen whether Saul can nail down a spot in Thomas Tuchel’s starting eleven this season.