Every position Saul Niguez has played and might play for Chelsea

Chelsea’s latest addition, Saul Niguez, has long been a valued and trusted member of Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid. So much so, in fact, that Simeone would frequently play him in uncomfortable positions just to get him on the pitch.

Thanks to that, Chelsea is not just getting a midfield player. They are getting a player capable of filling quite a few different holes if push comes to shove. But where all can he play and how likely is Thomas Tuchel to use him there?

1. Midfield

Starting with the easy one, Saul was surely brought in to play in midfield. He’s tenacious on and off the ball and has more goals and assists in his locker than the other three options currently. He’ll be second only to N’Golo Kante in his energy and defense, second only to Kovacic in his bag of tricks, and second only to Jorginho in his vision. That is, of course, if he returns to the form he once had.

Perhaps most important of all is his comfort in all types of midfield roles. Should Chelsea ever return to a three man midfield (or even a diamond), Saul will have been a player that has played in each role. Need an attacking midfielder? Saul can do that. Need a defensive midfielder, to play make or to sweep? Saul can do that. Plus, being left footed opens up passing angles from the center not seen since Kai Havertz last played there.

2. Wingback

This one is more of a recent development for Saul. Last season, Diego Simeone started to play around with a 3-5-2 formation. That allowed him to keep the two strikers he’s long used, but also allowed him to fit in more of the midfielders and defenders they have collected over time. It also covered for the loss of “wingers” (more on that shortly) and fullbacks over time. But most importantly for Chelsea is that it shuffled Saul over to the wingback position.

Playing “wide” for Atletico Madrid was surely not new for Saul, but being the only wide player was. But, thanks to his high energy and aforementioned tenacity, he didn’t miss much of a beat in the role. Mind, his time at wingback roughly coincides with his dip in form in recent seasons, but he still was very much able to do a job there and was very much trusted by Simeone throughout. It’s unlikely he’ll have to suit up as a wingback too often for Chelsea, but it is a tool in his toolbox if needed.

3. Winger

For the majority of Saul’s Atletico career, the team has used a 4-4-2. Saul featured everywhere in that midfield four. About half the time he was in the pivot much like he will be at Chelsea. The rest of the time he was wide, mostly on the left but occasionally on the right. Now, it is important to note that being a winger in a 4-4-2 these days is hardly like being a winger in a 4-4-2 back in the 90s or even the 2000s. The role frequently operates similarly to the inverted winger roles Chelsea has been using in recent seasons.

Saul likely won’t knock any of the current forwards out of the XI, but should Chelsea go to a 4-4-2 (which Thomas Tuchel did use in the 4-2-2-2 variant at PSG), Saul could find himself in one of those wide spots once again. It’s in these spots that he’s able to be most attacking but his ability off the ball is also why it allowed him to convert to a wingback. Should Chelsea switch formations, this could be where Saul ends up.

4. Centerback(?)

This one may seem odd at first, but long ago in Saul’s earliest days at Atletico Madrid, he did feature as a centerback. He’s only had to do so on rare occasions since, but it is yet another tool in his toolbox for Chelsea to consider.

Plus, Chelsea’s usage of a three at the back system blurs the line between centerback and other positions. Remember how Lewis Baker performed almost like a halfback in preseason? Saul could end up doing something similar in an injury crisis. Or, more likely, if Antonio Rudiger gets hurt and the club needs someone to play on the left that is left footed, Saul could drop into the role.

The main thing to keep in mind about all of these positions is that Saul likely won’t be a wingback, winger, or centerback fulltime. He was brought in to play in the midfield and that is surely where he’ll start every match. But, if an injury crisis hits or the Blues go down a man, Saul will be more than capable of filling in almost anywhere as needed.