Saul Niguez will be forever grateful to Chelsea supporters for the backing he received during his season-long loan from Atletico Madrid, but the Spaniard says it was his teammates there were fundamental in ensuring he "wouldn't fall apart" during his difficult early months at Stamford Bridge.
It was in the final minutes of last summer's transfer window that Saul completed a loan move to the Blues, who had a £30million option to make the switch permanent. It was a transfer celebrated by supporters and championed by the club. "He completes our squad as we compete for honours in five different competitions this season," said club direction Marina Granovskaia.
However, Saul's debut for Chelsea against Aston Villa lasted just 45 minutes. The Spanish international struggled with the intensity and pace of the Premier League and was brought off at half time by Thomas Tuchel. "He was struggling, and I take responsibility for that," said the Chelsea head coach.
READ MORE: Romelu Lukaku told he should leave Chelsea as striker pushes for Inter Milan transfer
It wasn't until late December that Saul began to find his feet at Chelsea. There was an impressive cameo away at Wolverhampton Wanderers and a strong performance in the Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg victory over Tottenham Hotspur, after which Tuchel spoke positively about the 27-year-old's progression.
"It is an important moment for him, and I have the feeling he digested the experiences at the beginning when maybe he didn't expect it like this," the Chelsea head coach explained.
"He is not the first player to struggle from the switch. What he does is good because he is open and fully focused, totally committed to the team. So I am very happy with his performance. Today was a huge step for him."
But strangely – and despite N'Golo Kante and Jorginho struggling for form – Saul was barely used in midfield during the remainder of the campaign. He started just four matches in his preferred role, one of which was the win over Watford on the final day of the Premier League campaign.
Across all competitions, Saul played just 1,209 minutes; it is little surprise that the Blues are not taking up their £30m option. He will return to Atletico ahead of next season, which will be another opportunity for the midfielder to kickstart his career. And he believes his time at Chelsea will prove beneficial, despite the early struggles he faced.
A statement posted across Saul's social channels read: "Hello blues, I'm writing to take my leave of you. I would like to tell you how I felt during this adventure. Things didn't start well at all. After a long time at home, changing everything wasn't easy. Little by little, things got better.
"Everything in life serves to improve and learn, and that's what I take from this adventure. I'd like to thank the club for trying to take care of every detail to make me feel at home. I'd also like to give recognition to each worker, thank you. Thank you for making this club much bigger.
"Thanks to all the fans for supporting me through thick and thin. I will be forever grateful. Thanks to all the staff for making it possible for me to win titles with the blue shirt.
"But above all, I wanted to thank my teammates. They have been fundamental so that I wouldn't fall apart. They helped me to continue supporting the team and live a calm and positive day to day. Thank you."
