Saul Niguez will be forever grateful to Chelsea supporters for the backing he received during his season-long loan from Atletico Madrid, but the Spaniard says it was his teammates there were fundamental in ensuring he "wouldn't fall apart" during his difficult early months at Stamford Bridge.
It was in the final minutes of last summer's transfer window that Saul completed a loan move to the Blues, who had a £30million option to make the switch permanent. It was a transfer celebrated by supporters and championed by the club. "He completes our squad as we compete for honours in five different competitions this season," said club direction Marina Granovskaia.
However, Saul's debut for Chelsea against Aston Villa lasted just 45 minutes. The Spanish international struggled with the intensity and pace of the Premier League and was brought off at half time by Thomas Tuchel. "He was struggling, and I take responsibility for that," said the Chelsea head coach.
