Chelsea's wonderkid signing in Pochettino's preseason plans

James Shearman

• Updated: 15 Jun 2023 20:16 BST
• 3 min read

Chelsea wonderkid Andrey Santos has been granted a US visa which will allow him to take part in the Blues' preseason tour.

Santos joined the Blues from Brazilian side Vasco da Gama for €12 million in January but was sent back on loan for the remainder of the 2022-23 season.

The midfielder continued his fine form, which also translated onto the international stage for Brazil's under-20 side.

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Santos even earned a senior cap in March, starting in Brazil's 2-1 friendly defeat to Morocco.

The 19-year-old is now expected to return to Chelsea, where he will be 'tested' by new head coach Mauricio Pochettino, according to Fabrizio Romano.

And, if Santos can prove himself on the Blues' tour of America, he could well earn a place in the squad for the 2023-24 campaign.

Chelsea's midfield options

Santos joins a bloated Chelsea squad but that is expected to change in the summer transfer window.

N'Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Conor Gallagher are all expected to leave.

Meanwhile Moises Caicedo of Brighton is currently the only midfielder likely to arrive at the west London club.

The Ecuadorian is seen as the perfect partner for record signing Enzo Fernandez in the centre of the pitch.

But with the number of players leaving, the likes of Santos, Cesare Casadei, Carney Chukwuemeka and Lewis Hall could all feature.

After all, Pochettino is famed for being excellent at developing young players into first-team regulars.