CHELSEA'S pursuit of Atletico Madrid star Saul Niguez has collapsed just days before the end of the transfer window, according to reports.
The Spanish midfielder is thought to be reluctant to moving to Stamford Bridge because Thomas Tuchel can't guarantee game time.
According to 90min, Chelsea were on the verge of agreeing a deal with Atletico before the 26-year-old rejected the Blues.
Saul is said to have wanted guarantees over his playing time with Tuchel already having several top midfielders at his disposal.
N'Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Trevoh Chalobah and Ethan Ampadu are among those battling it out for CM role.
Tuchel also has Jorginho, who was recently named Uefa Men's Player of the Year after winning the Champions League, Super Cup and Euro 2020.
And Chelsea have senior internationals Danny Drinkwater, Ross Barkley and Tiemoue Bakayoko sitting in the reserves.
The Blues were reportedly hoping to flog Drinkwater, Barkley and Bakayoko before securing a loan deal for Saul this weekend.
It's believed the LaLiga champions were willing to let Saul leave during the transfer window but he will now stay in the Spanish capital.
The 19-cap international has been linked with several teams throughout the summer and Chelsea were reportedly his last chance to secure a move.
Manchester United and Liverpool were both believed to be interested in Saul, with rumours suggesting he was available for £45million.
The Spaniard still has five years left on his Atletico contract after coming through the ranks in the Spanish capital.
Saul has spent his entire career at Atletico – bar a season on loan at Rayo Vallecano – playing 229 LaLiga games under manager Diego Simeone.
FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN NEW CUSTOMER DEALS
⚽ Read our Transfer news live blog for the very latest rumours, gossip and done deals
Source: Read Full Article
