Chelsea's £30m deadline day signing has protected Thomas Tuchel from Ousmane Dembele risk
Transfer deadline day was very different this time around for Chelsea. There was no rush. There was no panic. There was no need to frantically submit a deal sheet to the Premier League with just seconds of the window remaining.
Chelsea's executives could, for the most part, sit back and relax. Their work done or perhaps never even started given the Blues didn't make any genuine attempt to add a signing to Thomas Tuchel's squad.
The situation was very different at the end of the summer transfer window. Come the final hours of August 31, Chelsea were locked in a three-way transfer deal and their prospective addition was the first domino that needed to fall.
That was, of course, Saul Niguez. The Spaniard was prepared to leave Atletico Madrid for the Premier League after 13 years with the Spanish club and the Blues had structured a loan deal. Saul's departure would enable the La Liga side to re-sign Antoine Griezmann from Barcelona, who in turn would recruit Luke de Jong from Sevilla.
Saul's switch to Stamford Bridge was on, then off, but eventually on again. Chelsea submitted their deal sheet to the Premier League with three minutes to spare and the move was announced within an hour of the window closing.
The Blues paid an initial fee of around £4million for Saul and agreed upon an option to sign the Spain international permanently for £30m at the end of the 2021/22 campaign.
"I am very excited to start this new challenge with Chelsea," the midfielder said after his deal was confirmed. "Blues fans, I am one of you now and I can’t wait to wear the shirt, start training and see all of you."
Saul's arrival was not one Chelsea had banked on heading into deadline day. Sure, the Blues were keen to bring in a midfielder and