Chelsea star set to leave after flop transfer

Tom Weber

• Updated: 31 Jan 2024 16:32 GMT
• 3 min read

Andrey Santos is set to leave Chelsea on loan again before the January window shuts, according to a report.

The Brazilian wonderkid returned to Chelsea after a horrible six-month loan spell at Nottingham Forest during which he featured in just nine Premier League minutes despite being regarded as one of the biggest talents in world football.

Then-Forest coach Steve Cooper bluntly stated that he was not picking Santos quite simply because he wasn't actually their player, so it was inevitable that the Blues eventually recalled him.

His future has been the subject of heated debate at Stamford Bridge. Santos is currently in Brazil for pre-Olympic national team duties and this has led to some believing that he could remain with the Blues until the end of the season as he is not present to participate in the decision-making process regarding a potential next move.

However, on Wednesday, news broke that Chelsea higher-ups had begun discussing the possibility of sending Santos to sister club RC Strasbourg and it seems a decision has been made.

Santos set for Ligue 1

That's at least according to TEAMtalk, which claims that Chelsea are in "very advanced talks" to send the 19-year-old to the BlueCo-owned Ligue 1 side. In Alsace, Santos will link up with fellow Brazilian prospect Angelo Gabriel, also on loan from Chelsea, the centrepiece of Todd Boehly's fledgling footballing empire.

Keeping him in the BlueCo orbit is seen as the ideal solution to his game-time problems as Chelsea will have more of a say in how many minutes he will receive in France, which is of course a desideratum after his Forest nightmare.

Santos is yet to make his competitive debut for Chelsea, meaning that there are no concerns about another loan for him. Had he featured for the Blues this term, he would not have been eligible to play for another club after his previous loan, a problem Diego Moreira now has after being recalled by the London club from his Lyon stint.