Former Tottenham goalkeeping ace Paul Robinson has said that he is surprised Manchester United did not beat Chelsea to Saul Niguez.
In an interview with Football Insider, Paul Robinson has claimed that Chelsea’s signing of Saul Niguez is the deal of the summer transfer window. The former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper, though, added that he was left surprised by Manchester United’s decision to not sign the Spaniard.
Saul Niguez had one of the most intriguing transfer sagas surrounding him in the summer transfer window. At one point, it was mooted that Liverpool and Barcelona were vying for his signature. It was even suggested that the Spanish international could be a part of a swap deal involving Antoine Griezmann, who ended up rejoining Atletico Madrid on loan.
Manchester United were one of his suitors as well, amid uncertainties surrounding the future of Paul Pogba. However, as the end of the summer transfer window approached, it has become clear that the Red Devils were no longer in Saul’s pursuit.
Instead, Chelsea emerged as the front-runners heading into Deadline Day, and the Blues did end up securing his services. The deal is an initial season-long loan move and according to Paul Robinson, it is the deal of the summer transfer window. The former Tottenham goalkeeper is also baffled that Manchester United did make a move for him.
“Chelsea have pulled off the deal of the window in Saul Niguez because he is a world-class player. I am very surprised that Man United didn’t push harder for him. They could really do with a player like him. £34 million with a small loan fee to start with? That is the deal of the window by a long way and I think United have missed out.”
“Don’t get me wrong, United have had a great window. The signing of Cristiano Ronaldo speaks for itself. Raphael Varane is their best signing in my opinion though. He is an outstanding player who will bring a lot of stability to that back four.”
Chelsea’s initial signing of Saul, as iterated earlier, is on a season-long loan, and it will be interesting to see if, like Mateo Kovacic, they choose to sign the Spanish international permanently next summer. As for Manchester United, it remains to be seen if they come to regret their decision to not sign the 26-year-old.
