Chelsea receive HUGE transfer update over 'best player in the world'

Cameron Smith

17 Apr 2025 14:30 BST
4 min read

Andrey Santos will reportedly be given the chance to impress Enzo Maresca at this summer’s Club World Cup as he is set to be included in Chelsea’s squad for the inaugural tournament.

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The Brazilian midfielder has enjoyed a superb loan spell at Strasbourg over the past 18 months and he was recently dubbed as “the best player in the world” by team-mate Diego Moreira.

Current ETV

Andrey Santos

M, DM (C)

Strasbourg

Andrey Santos

M, DM (C)

Strasbourg

ETV Range

€24.2M - €29.5M

Santos has scored 10 goals and provided five assists in 29 appearances from central midfield this campaign and his form in Ligue 1 has attracted interest from a number of suitors across Europe, including Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain.

Chelsea are yet to finalise whether Santos will be included in their first-team squad for next season, despite his immense displays for Strasbourg, and they will reportedly not make a final decision on his future until after the 2024-25 campaign.

However, the Blues will include the 20-year-old in their squad for the 2025 Club World Cup.

That is according to The Daily Mail, who claim that Chelsea will select Santos for the tournament, with Maresca set to assess the Brazilian up close before making a decision on whether he will remain at Stamford Bridge for the duration of next season.

Andrey Santos to return to Chelsea?

When asked whether he will return to Chelsea this summer, Santos recently told ESPN: “A lot of people send me news [about Chelsea], but I don’t think there’s anything concrete like that.

“No one has come to me directly and spoken to me. It’s in Chelsea’s hands, it’s in my agents’ hands, it's in my hands. At the moment I’m focused on these last few games, which are very important for Strasbourg. When the season ends, we’ll see what happens, everyone will sit down and talk to make the best decision for both sides.”

Santos added: “Of course you want to play for the biggest clubs in Europe, for a very big club like Chelsea. Of course you dream of that moment, but I think the moment is to have a clear head, finish the season here to make the best choice when the season is over.”

Santos has five years remaining on his current contract at Chelsea, while his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) stands at €26.8 million.