Chelsea’s approach to Andrey Santos, the 20-year-old midfielder signed from Vasco da Gama for around £18m in January 2023, appears to be driven by a brutal profit-making scheme. Despite high expectations and early comparisons to the likes of Douglas Luiz, Santos has not yet made his competitive debut for Chelsea, instead undergoing a series of loan spells. After initially returning to Vasco and a largely unproductive season-long spell at Nottingham Forest, Santos found his stride at Chelsea’s sister club Strasbourg. There, his performances in the French top-flight have been impressive, as he has scored eight goals and provided three assists in 21 matches. However, sources indicate that while Chelsea are very happy with his development at Strasbourg, they view him primarily as a “pure profit player” and are prepared to sell him for a significant profit if the right offer materialises.

This is particularly contentious given that Santos has expressed a strong desire to play a major role at Chelsea. Praised by Strasbourg’s head coach Liam Rosenior—who compared him to Brazil legend Dunga for his maturity and efficiency—Santos remains under contract with Chelsea until 2030, though his future at Stamford Bridge now hangs in the balance.Chelsea’s approach to Andrey Santos, the 20-year-old midfielder signed from Vasco da Gama for around £18m in January 2023, appears to be driven by a brutal profit-making scheme. Despite high expectations and early comparisons to the likes of Douglas Luiz, Santos has not yet made his competitive debut for Chelsea, instead undergoing a series of loan spells. After initially returning to Vasco and a largely unproductive season-long spell at Nottingham Forest, Santos found his stride at Chelsea’s sister club Strasbourg.

There, his performances in the French top-flight have been impressive, as he has scored eight goals and provided three assists in 21 matches. However, sources indicate that while Chelsea are very happy with his development at Strasbourg, they view him primarily as a “pure profit player” and are prepared to sell him for a significant profit if the right offer materialises. This is particularly contentious given that Santos has expressed a strong desire to play a major role at Chelsea. Praised by Strasbourg’s head coach Liam Rosenior—who compared him to Brazil legend Dunga for his maturity and efficiency—Santos remains under contract with Chelsea until 2030, though his future at Stamford Bridge now hangs in the balance.

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