Saúl
From TheChels.info - The Chelsea Football Club Wiki
| Saúl | |
| |
| Full Name | Saúl Ñíguez Esclapez |
| Date of Birth | 21 November 1994 |
| Place of Birth | Elche, Spain |
| Position | Midfielder |
| Chelsea career | 2021-2022 |
| Debut | 11 September 2021 |
| Games (goals) | 23 (1) |
| Other clubs | Atlético Madrid Rayo Vallecano (loan) Sevilla (loan) Flamengo |
Saúl Ñíguez, often known as Saúl, is a Spanish midfielder who spent 2021-22 season at Chelsea, on loan from Atlético Madrid.
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Before Chelsea
Saúl came through Atlético Madrid’s youth system, and broke into the first team in the early 2010s. He established himself as a dynamic, all-rounded midfielder—known for his tactical versatility, running range, and goal threat from midfield. In 2021–22, after a decade at Atlético, he was loaned to Chelsea in search of Premier League experience.
Chelsea
On 31 August 2021, Saúl joined Chelsea on a season-long loan. He made his Premier League debut on 11 September in a 3–0 win over Aston Villa, though that performance drew criticism. He added a spark in cup competitions, scoring his only goal for Chelsea in a dramatic FA Cup match against Luton Town on 2 March 2022. Saúl featured sparingly—making 10 Premier League appearances, 4 Champions League matches, and a total of 23 competitive outings, including coming off the bench in the FIFA Club World Cup final. Chelsea ended the season champions, but Saúl’s loan spell was generally considered underwhelming, and he returned to Atlético at its conclusion.
Statistics
| Season | Prem | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |
| 2021-22 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 1 |
| Total | 10 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 1 |
- Correct as of the end of the 2021-22 season"
Goals
| # | Season | Date | Year | Competition | Opponent | Score | Result | Venue |
| 1 | 2021-22 | 02 March | 2022 | FA Cup | Luton Town | 1-1 | 3-2 | Kenilworth Road |
International
Saúl has earned over 30 caps for Spain, scoring on international duty and playing across European Championship qualifiers and Nations League fixtures. Although he didn’t break fully into Spain’s starting XI, he remained a consistent squad presence during his peak years.
Honours
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2021
