Liverpool may have dodged a bullet this summer after failing to sign Saul from Atletico Madrid, as Chelsea are already starting to question their decision to target the midfielder.
That’s according to Calciomercato, who claim the Stamford Bridge outfit are beginning to have second thoughts over the Spain international. Thomas Tuchel has rarely utilised the 26-year-old since his arrival in west London, with just two appearances so far.
Tuchel also left Saul as an unused substitute in Chelsea’s last two Premier League fixtures and both Champions League ties. While his only top-flight outing to date lasted 45-minutes before Jorginho came on for him at half-time against Aston Villa.
Tuchel’s unwillingness to trust Saul is leaving Chelsea chiefs to question if they made the right decision signing the midfielder. The Blues paid Atletico £3.5m for a season-long loan, which features a £30m option to buy, per Sky Sports.
Liverpool had wanted to bring Saul to the Premier League themselves but could not agree on terms before Chelsea swooped. Mundo Deportivo reported in July that the Reds held talks with Atleti over a potential €40m (£34m) deal.
Jurgen Klopp considered the 2020/21 La Liga champion to be an ideal all-round operator to add to his Anfield ranks. But the Colchoneros wanted €50m (£43m) at the time, and the Blues eventually won out on Deadline Day.
Did Liverpool dodge a Saul bullet amid his Chelsea struggles?
Klopp may be keeping a close eye on how Saul performs at Chelsea to see what Liverpool missed out on. But Tuchel is giving the German little to form a rueful opinion, through the 19-cap international’s limited chances so far.
Saul was also off the pace in both of his outings against Aston Villa, with 45-minutes in the league and 76 in the Carabao Cup. He struggled to match the Villans’ intensity in his first meeting with the Birmingham outfit, and repeatedly lost possession.
His efforts were marginally better on attempt two, but Saul failed to assert his dominance and again produced wayward passes. Tuchel will want to see a lot of improvement from the Elche-born maestro before regular chances come.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
