Chelsea are not holding negotiations with any club over the possibility of offloading young midfielder Andrey Santos, confirms Fabrizio Romano. The Brazilian teenager has joined their pre-season training after his recent loan spell at Vasco da Gama.
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Chelsea Rule Out Andrey Santos Exit Talks
Chelsea are currently NOT negotiating with any club for Andrey Santos 🔵🇧🇷
Despite lot of interest from many clubs in Europe, there are no concrete talks or advanced negotiations at this stage.
Pochettino wants to see him in pre season.
Directors believe he’s the future. pic.twitter.com/JHCfe5qQ8J
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 7, 2023
Pochettino Keen on Testing Santos in Pre-Season
The London giants announced the acquisition of the 19-year-old midfielder in the January transfer window after which, he was loaned back to his parent club until the end of the 2022/23 campaign. He has now secured his work permit documents and is training with the senior Chelsea squad.
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Romano adds that Mauricio Pochettino wants to use him in pre-season friendly games and see his quality before making a final decision on what to do with the youngster for the upcoming campaign. It’s stated that many European clubs have shown an interest in signing Santos, but the Blues have refused to hold any concrete talks at this stage of the summer window.
Chelsea’s directors are also claimed to be big fans of the Brazilian and Romano reiterates that the decision-makers at the club believe that he is their future. With the London side having offloaded N’Golo Kante, Mason Mount, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mateo Kovacic this summer, space has opened up in midfield for new players and Santos could look to pounce on this opportunity to win a place in Pochettino’s squad.
Watch: Last Word on Football‘s prediction of how Chelsea will line up next season in Mauricio Pochettino‘s first season at the club:
What Can Santos Bring to Chelsea?
The teenage Brazilian midfielder has already attracted a lot of praise from prominent ex-footballers, with ex-Brazil international Juninho calling him a ‘beast’ last season. Santos scored one goal in 11 appearances for Vasco de Gama but really excelled at international level.
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He scored six goals in the U-20 South American Championship for Brazil’s U-20 side earlier this year and has already made his debut for the senior national team. The 19-year-old can operate in multiple roles, being quite efficient as a centre-midfielder, defensive midfielder or even as a winger if needed. His best role is that of a free-flowing no.8 where he excels in moving the ball forward, creating chances and getting on the end of opportunities. Santos is a perfect fit for Chelsea’s long-term objectives, but he’ll need to produce some positive performances in pre-season to remain in Pochettino’s plans for the 2023/24 campaign.
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