Reece James sent a short but sweet message to Saul Niguez following his sturdy performance for Chelsea against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Saul had arguably his finest afternoon in a blue jersey during the side’s 0-0 Premier League draw at Molineux.
The Spain international replaced Trevoh Chalobah at the interval and appeared the most settled he’d been since his deadline day loan move from Atletico Madrid.
Saul in the spotlight
Moments of positivity haven’t arrived very often for the midfielder in the past five months.
Being dragged off twice at half-time is never a great sign of a player’s capability.
Starting just five times across all competitions hardly paints a pretty picture for the 27-year-old either.
Yet, Saul’s Sunday showing in the Black Country was certainly encouraging.
In response to his admirable efforts, the man from Madrid uploaded a post to Instagram.
James decided to spread a little love by leaving a charming comment that could warm the heart in these chilly times.
Thomas Tuchel also made a point of picking out Saul’s rare display of quality for Chelsea.
“He (Saul) played well today, and in general we played better because the structure was better, the discipline was better in the structure. That helped us to be better… Saul was an important part of it,” said the Blues boss.
Time is still running out for the Spaniard
This praise will do the player no end of good.
However, he cannot rest on his laurels.
For Saul to convince Chelsea to sign him permanently, he must consistently show his skills from now until the campaign’s conclusion.
Limited-edition matches like the one versus Wolves will simply not be enough to earn a long-term contract.
Depending on whether the fixtures go ahead, Saul won’t have long to wait before getting another chance to prove his worth.
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