Andrey Santos' future takes unexpected twist

James Shearman

• Updated: 18 Feb 2023 15:57 GMT
• 3 min read

Chelsea youngster Andrey Santos' future has been revealed after his January move to west London.

Santos signed for the Blues from Brazilian second division team Vasco da Gama after impressing at such a young age.

The 18-year-old spent the next few weeks on international duty with Brazil's under-20 side.

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And Brazil won the South American championship, with Santos the top scorer at the competition from central midfield.

Chelsea had wanted to reward him with first-team minutes in the second half of the season but he has failed to get a work permit.

So the Blues have decided to loan him to Palmeiras in the Brazilian first division.

Many thought that the loan would only be until the summer transfer window but he will remain there until the end of the calendar year.

Unless, the Blues choose to recall Santos ahead of the 2023-24 season for a fee of €1.5 million.

Who is Andrey Santos?

Santos is primarily a defensive midfielder, lining up alongside Yuri Lara in a double pivot for former club Vasco da Gama, with ex-PSG star Nene as the 'number 10'.

But the youngster is capable of playing in a more advanced role, proven by his three goals in the ongoing South American Youth Football Championship. Santos also scored eight times in 33 league games in 2022.

"Physically, he's a monster," Juninho - a Vasco and Lyon club legend - told Resenha Loading on YouTube. "Without the ball, his participation in the game is total. I wanted to see his GPS, because he doesn't stop! And technically, he's way above the others.

"He's not going to be better than me, he's going to be much better than me! He's a much more complete player. At 18, I didn't play half as much as he does, I'm not ashamed to say that."