Here we go
Chelsea have reached an agreement with Atlético Madrid over the transfer of Saúl Ñíguez, on a one-year loan with an option to buy in the summer of 2022.
Saúl's form at Atlético has taken a dip over the past year, which led to the midfielder being left out of Luis Enrique's Euro 2020 squad, while his teammates Koke and Marcos Llorente were called up to represent Spain.
Reports linking Saúl with an exit have been around for a while, with both Manchester clubs potential suitors, but Chelsea have won the race to sign the 26-year-old.
A week ago, it was reported that Chelsea had been offered Saúl on loan, with the European Champions looking for a fourth central midfielder after loaning out Billy Gilmour.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CS9ox4eooTM/
And just hours before the deadline, Chelsea and Atlético have agreed a deal, as reported by Fabrizio Romano.
https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1432754285750673409
Sky Sports report that Chelsea will pay €5 million for the initial year before negotiating a bigger fee next summer if they want to keep the player permanently.
https://twitter.com/footballdaily/status/1432756379543080965
Chelsea's loan army generals have also been busy sending players out, with Ethan Ampadu
reportedly heading to newly promoted Serie A side Venezia.
