Chelsea unconvinced on loanee despite MOTM performance against Tottenham

Chelsea went someway towards getting their season back on track after a recent run of poor results on Wednesday, as they defeated rivals Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 at Stamford Bridge. 

The Carabao Cup semi-final first leg presented Blues boss Thomas Tuchel with the opportunity to make a statement after the first blip of his tenure, and he did exactly that as his side dominated Spurs throughout.

A goal from Kai Havertz and a comedy own goal by Ben Davies were enough to give the hosts victory an advantage heading into next week’s second lag, although they should have extended their lead, such was their dominance.

One standout performer from the tie was Saul Niguez, who seemed to win over some previously sceptical Blues supporters.

The Spaniard had previously been poor during all of his appearances for the club, particularly his debut against Aston Villa, but he played a crucial role on Wednesday and was rewarded with the man of the match award.

Despite his outstanding effort, it appears that the club have not yet changed their mind on the player.

Saul came out on top in his midfield battle with Piere-Emile Hojbjerg on Wednesday

As per The Express, the Blues are still unwilling to fork out the £30 million necessary to make Saul’s move to Stamford Bridge permanent.

The Spanish international arrived in the capital over the summer on a season-long loan deal with an option to buy, but it appears that Chelsea decided not to take up the option early on and not yet changed their mind.

The report also states that Saul’s parent club Atletico Madrid initially insisted that the clause included in the loan deal was an ‘obligation to buy’, but Chelsea were able to alter the clause to an option.

The game against Spurs was Saul’s 12th appearance for Chelsea, although he is likely to feature more during the second half of the season as Tuchel contends with player’s taking part in the African Cup of Nations throughout January, and then faces a hectic schedule during the remainder of the season.

Despite their current reluctance to make Saul’s stay in London a permanent one, they could yet change their stance between now and the end of the season.