Saul Niguez insists his time at Chelsea was a “good experience” despite struggling to convince at Stamford Bridge.
One of Europe’s leading midfielders earlier in his career, the Spanish international joined Thomas Tuchel’s side with a proven track-record at the top level, having won La Liga and the Europa League with Atletico Madrid while also reaching the Champions League finals.
Things got off to a poor start, however, with the 27-year-old enduring a nightmare debut against Aston Villa, during which he was hauled off at half-time after looking desperately off the pace.
Saul would make only four more Premier League starts and just 26 appearances across all competitions, returning to the Spanish capital to face an uncertain future.
Conor Gallagher is expected to be given the chance to prove to Tuchel he can serve as a replacement following the England midfielder’s hugely impressive loan at Crystal Palace.
Speaking to Spanish publication AS, Saul said: “Despite the fact that I didn’t have the desired minutes, I think it was a good experience for me to go out at a time when I wasn’t feeling well mentally.
“I have been able to reset, learn from a new culture, lead a new life, meet a new club, fans.
“I can only be grateful to all the people at Chelsea for their trust and to my teammates for making the year very bearable and helping me, and to Atleti for having made it easier.
“I think that this season has helped me to improve in many aspects, I have learned a lot and that will come in handy for this new season.”
