Fabrizio Romano has clarified exactly how much Chelsea will have to pay Atletico Madrid for Saul Niguez if they opt to sign him permanently next summer.
What did Romano say about Saul?
Chelsea completed a loan swoop for Saul on deadline day last month, and they have the option to buy him outright in 2022.
There has been some uncertainty as to the transfer fee that the Blues would have to pay Atletico if they want to keep Saul, but Romano has now cleared things up.
Speaking on the latest episode of The Here We Go Podcast, he said: “Let me clarify one thing. The clause, the buy option, because it’s a loan for €5m (£4.3m) with a buy option. It’s not €30m (£25.7m) as I see sometimes, it’s €40m (£34.2m). So, it’s €5m loan, €40m buy option. This is the details for the Saul deal.”
How did Saul perform on his Chelsea debut?
Saul was thrown straight into the starting line-up for Chelsea's match against Aston Villa on Saturday, but his debut did not go to plan.
As per WhoScored, the 26-year-old was dispossessed on three occasions and committed three fouls in the first half. Meanwhile, he failed to complete a single tackle or make any interceptions.
This led to Saul being replaced at the break by Jorginho, as he was given a game rating of just 5.94. None of his teammates received a lower mark.
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Should Chelsea take up the option to buy Saul?
We now know the exact figure that Chelsea will have to pay for Saul, and it is a significant amount of money.
Saul delivered a disappointing performance at Stamford Bridge on the weekend, and if he continues to play at that level it may be best for Chelsea to steer clear of signing him permanently for a fee just short of £35m.
Still, it would be very harsh to judge a player based on their first game at a new club, especially having just moved across from another league in a different country. Saul is a title-winner and Champions League finalist from his time in Spain, so it seems likely that he will use this experience to settle in and improve as the season progresses.
With this in mind, it's fair to assume that he will step up his game, and earn himself a permanent contract over the coming months.