Why Saul Niguez Was Atletico Madrid's Most Improved Player in 2015/16 Season

It wouldn't have come as a surprise to those watching La Liga or Atletico Madrid on a regular basis over the past three seasons, but 2015-16 saw Saul Niguez shoot to prominence on a much wider scale, with his performances and qualities recognised all over Europe.

Part of it, of course, was the skill he showed in scoring his goal in the UEFA Champions League against Bayern Munich, but those few seconds of class only enhanced, not instigated, the excellent campaign Saul enjoyed.

While improvements in the season-to-season displays of Gabi, Fernando Torres and Filipe Luis were all noticeable, Saul was clearly Atletico's most improved of all. The 21-year-old can expect this to be the true start of a momentous career, if determination and a will to learn continue to be hallmarks of his game, as they have been to date.

Fringes to first team

Saul played a peripheral role in Atletico's squad in 2014-15 but had already displayed his ability to make an impact on La Liga the year before on loan at Rayo Vallecano.

Heading into '15-16, Saul faced a three-way battle for game time against Oliver Torres and Yannick Carrasco for a wide midfield spot in Diego Simeone's 4-4-2, and he initially was last in the order of preference. Oliver started on the right, Carrasco eventually came into the team on the left and Saul had to wait until late November for just his third start of the season in La Liga.

He wasn't entirely out of the picture until then; Saul started or came on in every single Champions League match throughout '15-16, including the group games, with Simeone recognising the balance and work rate he brought to the team for those high-value fixtures.

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That third league start was the real beginning, though, with Saul featuring from the start in all but two La Liga games from then until the end of the season.

His consistency in performances from both the right and the centre of midfield saw him grow in importance to the team, as did his ability to both defend relentlessly and surge forward to contribute heavily in attack (our complete tactical assessment of Saul's all-round game highlights his best traits and why he was able to make such an impression on the team).

By February, he was a guaranteed name in Simeone's first XI and never looked like relinquishing his spot, even with new signings arriving and high-pressure matches demanding experience and composure, as well as quality.

Trust and dependability

Simeone has long been a manager who will stick firmly with the players who show most inclination to carry out his tactical instruction, work hard for the team cause and, naturally, show ability.

He won't needlessly take players out of the side, he will show favouritism and encourage those on the fringes to become part of that inner circle and, most importantly, will reward those who break those glass ceilings to warrant a place in the team.

Saul, who as an Atletico academy youngster was well-versed in expectations for him, was always a natural fit to impress the boss, but once in the team he needed to show Simeone that he could replicate the performances of older, trusted players and not let the team down.

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It's notable that on the one occasion when Saul really did show the naivety of a young player—his dalliance on the ball which cost a goal at home to Eibar while playing centre-back—he responded in magnificent fashion, scoring at the very end to send Atleti en route to victory. He was solid, conscientious and careful in his work thereafter.

That resilience and mentality is a cornerstone of Simeone's teams at Atletico, and Saul showed he had plenty of both in that particular game.

In the season as a whole, he was one of the most consistent performers from his introduction right up until April, when Koke had taken over as the driving force from midfield and Saul seemed to lose just a little of his constant shine.

Awards, acclaim and interest

His big performances in La Liga against the non-elite teams might have taken some time to filter through to the general football public, but not for those who kept a keen eye on the Spanish game.

Saul was awarded the Revelation of La Liga prize at the end of his breakthrough campaign, and there were certainly enough top-class performances throughout the season for him to be strongly considered for Spain's Euro 2016 squad.

As it was, he made the preliminary group before being cut before the finals, which was surely an error of judgement on Vicente del Bosque's part in terms of both the present and future of the national team.

All the while, there have been transfer rumours, and the fees attached are growing by the week. Manchester United are just one of the clubs linked, per the Star (via the Mirror), and were pondering a £50 million-plus move for him over the summer—at least until Saul penned a new deal at Atletico which runs until 2021.

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Saul has grown to be a pivotal tactical element in Simeone's Atletico setup. His power and technique combine to make him an all-round player in the middle of the park, and he was one of the top talents in La Liga last season, regardless of missing out on Spain's squad for the summer tournament.

His transition from squad player to key starter was spectacular and deserved, if not as quick or explosive as those of other young players, but it will almost certainly last longer for that reason.

Atleti's No. 17 went from a 14th or 15th man to one of the first names on the team sheet after Antoine Griezmann, Diego Godin, Koke, Gabi and Juanfran—that's now the level he occupies in Atletico's squad and why he was the side's most improved player of the year.

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