Former Chelsea midfielder Saul Niguez has admitted that he is grateful for his time at the club despite a fairly unsuccessful spell.
The 27-year-old failed to find his feet at Stamford Bridge but left on good terms, lifting the Club World Cup and helping Chelsea to secure a top three finish last season.
Making just 26 appearances during his lone season under Thomas Tuchel, Saul bagged one goal and registered just the one assist.
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Chelsea decided against making his loan move a permanent one with Ruben Loftus-Cheek impressing during the season, as well as having Ethan Ampadu, Billy Gilmour and Conor Gallagher returning as midfield options at the end of the campaign.
However, despite not seeing as much of the pitch as he would have liked during his time in London, Saul has admitted that he does not regret his move at all.
Speaking to Spanish news outlet AS, the midfielder opened up on his time at Chelsea as he thanked the Blues for their support after a tough time at Atletico Madrid.
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"Despite the fact that I have not had the minutes I wanted, I think it has been a good experience for me to leave at a time when mentally I was not feeling well,” he said.
“I have been able to reset, learn about a new culture, lead a new life, meet a new club, new fans.
"I can only be grateful to the people at Chelsea for their trust and to my teammates for making the year so easy for me & helping me.
“I think this season has helped me to improve in many aspects.
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"I have learned a lot, and that will come in handy for this new season.”
It remains to be seen as to what the future holds for the Spaniard, who will have hopes of earning his place back into his national side ahead of the 2022 World Cup at the end of the year.
It appears that Saul will look to also fight his way back into Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid squad, where he often featured as a left wing-back before making the move to London.
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An injury to Ben Chilwell saw Saul also provide cover in this position for Tuchel, but after making just 10 Premier League appearances, all parties opted against making the stay a permanent one despite an option to buy in his deal at Chelsea.
The Blues will no doubt wish Saul the best in the future as he embarks on the next stage of his career.
Ampadu, Gallagher and Gilmour will no doubt be handed the opportunity to earn their place in the Blues squad for next season to replace Saul.
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With the introduction of five substitutes available to come on in a match, an extra midfielder will no doubt be handed the opportunity to impress, even from the bench next season.
Topics: Chelsea, Atletico Madrid, Football, Premier League
Nick Emms