The Spaniard has been heavily linked with a £70 million switch to the Etihad Stadium from Atlético Madrid.
If there were any doubts of the value of a defensive midfielder at the base of Pep Guardiola’s sky blue attacking engine, they were put to rest earlier this season.
When 33-year old Fernandinho missed time in December, City immediately went through their roughest patch of the season, conceding five goals in two defeats to Crystal Palace and Leicester City as both İlkay Gündoğan and John Stones proved incapable of filling his role.
Given Fernandinho’s age and unique skill set, finding a replacement has been near the top of City’s transfer priority list for much of the campaign. Although he does not receive praise equitable to several of his teammates, one can make the case that the Brazilian is City’s most irreplaceable player given his role in the spine of the Blues’ midfield, the glue that links defense and attack.
In any potential replacement, City need a player that is versatile, has incredible work rate, the ability to cover ground and defend, and can serve as an outlet at the base of an attack-minded three-man midfield when in possession in the opposing half.
Enter 24-year old Atlético Madrid midfielder Saúl Ñíguez. The Spaniard has been a critical piece of Diego Simeone’s revolution in the Spanish capital, initially starring out wide before transitioning to the middle of the park and even fullback at times of need. The midfielder has established himself at the core of Luis Enrique’s national team with his remarkable ability to perform well in just about every facet of the game, although he has endured a difficult 2018-2019.
Following another season of Champions League disappointment after surrendering a 2-0 aggregate lead to bow out against Juventus, it appears that Los Rojiblancos have hit their ceiling in Europe. An exodus appears to be on the cards in Madrid, with key players Diego Godín, Antoine Griezmann, Lucas Hernandez, Thomas Partey, and Saúl all looking primed to leave the club.
Saúl is perhaps better suited than any other player to fill Fernandinho’s role at the Etihad because he represents a near-perfect Guardiola midfielder. He has shown during his time at the Wanda Metropolitano that he possesses the world-class work rate and defensive ability demanded by the physicality of Simeone’s style of play, while his pace and passing ability also offer something going forward.
Saúl’s role in Manchester will be a vastly different experience from his time in the Spanish capital, although with no serious weaknesses in his game, he should be able to adjust. While Los Colchoneros played a defensive brand of football where Saúl would almost always have cover behind him as well as a midfield partner, neither will be true at City.
City’s defending largely comes down to the ability to defuse counter attacks in short numbers. By imposing their will on the opposition with the fullbacks and other midfielders pushing deep into the attacking third, when City are caught out in possession it typically comes down to the defensive midfielder and the two center backs to recover the ball.
Saúl will need to be tactically aware enough to not push too far forward, and will need to adjust to the physicality and speed of the Premier League. The majority of La Liga matches are played at a much slower tempo, and English opposition can burst on the counter with pace that Saúl has not experienced in Spain.
The Premier League has proven a difficult adjustment for several big-name foreign transfers in the center of midfield in recent years due to the difference in speed and physicality. The likes of Jorginho, Tiémoué Bakayoko, and Renato Sanches have found it difficult to cope with the league’s competitiveness, and Saúl must hit the ground running in Manchester in order to fulfill his lofty potential.
Fernandinho’s awareness and ability to play a multitude of roles in Guardiola’s goal-scoring machine has made him one of his side’s most critical players. While Saúl has all of the requisite physical and mental traits to thrive under one of the world’s best managers, he will need to learn quickly in order to succeed in a league that has torn up center midfielders from around the continent.