Arrived on tiptoe last winter at Chelsea for € 12.5 million from Vasco da Gama, in the midst of many other recruits, Andrey Santos had to wait before joining England for good. Lack of work permit. Now well settled in London, the young Brazilian is ready to conquer the Premier League. Very early spotted by the Vasco da Gama club, in Brazil, the native of Rio will do all his ranges there, until his professional debut. A real nugget, Andrey Santos is ahead of his time, especially in selection. The proof with the last edition of CONMEBOL U20, in which the young midfielder, then aged 18, scored 5 goals in as many games, while winning the final trophy with the Seleçao, captain’s armband stuck to his arm. Just that. Enough to deserve his first cape with Brazil against Morocco at the end of March, established alongside Casemiro in particular.
A John Obi Mikel profile that the Blues lack
If Moisés Caicedo is still the priority of the Blues transfer window, the Ecuadorian has still not signed. And even in the event of arrival, the midfielder at Chelsea is not the most equipped. Mateo Kovacic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek or even Mason Mount sold, Jorginho left last winter for Arsenal, N’Golo Kanté not retained and Connor Gallagher coveted, the London midfield needs to be redone, above all to be rejuvenated. At present, Enzo Fernandez is the only one in front of the defense to consider himself untouchable. Carney Chukwuemeka is promising, but is more of a No.8, as is Cesare Casadei, sparkling in pre-season. Behind, only Andrey Santos appears as an old-fashioned number 6, excelling in a double-pivot.
Physically already, the Brazilian is more than ready. At only 19 years old, Andrey Santos is the one who puts the punches. A good raker, intelligent in his sense of anticipation, the native of Rio stands out in his ability to do more than what is asked of him. Able to carry the ball by gaining meters, the former Vasco da Gama has all the qualities required to have fun in the Premier League, like John Obi Mikel before him. The Nigerian, José Mourinho’s real right-hand man at the time, had made his mark at Chelsea thanks to his consistency, his calm in front of the defense, but also and above all by his way of balancing his team’s game, leaving carte blanche to more offensive players such as Frank Lampard in particular.
The ideal partner of Enzo Fernandez?
At Chelsea, alongside a freer Enzo Fernandez on the pitch, Andrey Santos could just fill in a certain lack of physical presence in front of the defense. A lack that has lasted since the departure of Nemanja Matic in 2017. Indeed, since the departure of the Serb, the Londoners have never touched the Premier League again, which allowed N’Golo Kanté or Cesc Fabregas to project more.
Coveted by FC Barcelona at the start of the transfer window, Andrey Santos does not seem ready to pack his bags. Better, Mauricio Pochettino is counting on him. According to The Evening Standard, the Argentinian coach is impressed by the Brazilian and thinks more and more about keeping his nugget, despite the loans envisaged at first. In competition with Cesare Casadei to find a place in the workforce, Andrey Santos therefore has a head start on his Italian friend.
At present, Chelsea have played three pre-season fixtures (Wrexham, Brighton and Newcastle). Twice, the young midfielder started, delivering amazing performances for a player discovering his new teammates. If Todd Boehly and his family are not giving up on the Moisés Caicedo file, Brighton seems to want the jackpot: more than 100 M €. A sum that the Blues consider – for the moment – too important. In the meantime, Chelsea can count on Andrey Santos in midfield to form an exciting South American duo with Enzo Fernandez, or even a trio if the Ecuadorian from the Seagulls lands in London…
