Chelsea has signed Saul Niguez on loan until the end of the season after Thomas Tuchel made a midfielder a priority in the summer market while N’Golo Kante has had his problems. N’Golo Kante might be Chelsea’s most important player but his ongoing injury issues give Thomas Tuchel a major headache.
That is despite the signing of Saul Niguez on loan, who brings depth to a position that is strong for the Blues. Chelsea can be quite happy with their transfer window after bringing in the midfielder and Romelu Lukaku.
Truthfully, a striker was at the top of the wish list after some difficulty in front of goal – a problem they hope the former Inter Milan star will solve. Other than that, it was more about depth with a midfielder, a right-back, and a center-back all demanded.
Nevertheless, it is clear who are the top two in Tuchel’s eyes – Kante and Jorginho.
Their combination saw Chelsea surge to a Champions League trophy with the Frenchman earning three Man of the Match awards against Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, and Manchester City on their path to glory.
Is Kante being overworked?
France is not helping the situation either after taking him on international duty only to report another injury before they even played a game. Last season, Kante was plagued by injuries that coincided with a terrible stretch of form that saw Frank Lampard lose his job. Tuchel has a bit more credit in the bank in terms of results but a similar situation could see Roman Abramovich’s menacing figure loom once more.
Saul offers some much-needed depth that can help if and when those problems arise but to call the two of them similar players would be far from the truth. However, the 26-year-old, at his peak, can dribble past players like they are not there – ask Bayern Munich in 2016.
Kante is now 30 and is not getting any younger – those Duracell legs will have to run out of battery someday and the signs are showing. Saul does not go some way to solve that problem, replacing the Chelsea star is borderline impossible, and Tuchel must have a plan ready.