In this year’s January transfer window, Chelsea debuted their polarizing new transfer strategy of buying some of the world’s best young talents under the age of 25. Notable arrivals at Stamford Bridge that window include the likes of Mykhailo Mudryk, Noni Madueke, Benoit Badiashille, Enzo Fernandez and more. Among those January signings was promising young Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos. Despite being just 18 at the time, Santos was expected to join the first team before work permit issues would force him to return back to Vasco Da Gama on loan.
Santos would eventually make his first appearances in blue in CFC’s US preseason tour this summer and did not disappoint. New manager Mauricio Pochettino seemed to take a liking to the young Brazilian as he often featured as the deepest-lying midfielder in the Blues’ early pre-season fixtures. The 19-year-old displayed poise and technicality on the ball while showing hints of being able to be aggressive off the ball with his tackling and pressing. Despite the impressive preseason, it became clear that Santos would struggle for minutes with the arrival of other midfield signings this summer such as Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia and Lesley Ugwochukwu. Hence, around the end of the summer window the young midfielder was loaned out. The destination of his loan though left many CFC fans concerned and rightfully so.
Chelsea made a mistake in loaning Brazilian talent
Andrey Santos was loaned out to Nottingham Forest at the end of this summer’s transfer window. The positives of the loan were reasonable, a Premier League side with a manager in Steve Cooper who, as quoted in the official CFC website blogpost announcing Santos’ departure is “a head coach renowned for working with young emerging talent”.
However, the Blues hierarchy may have been completely oblivious to the state of Nottingham’s Forest bloated squad and their equally haphazard transfer strategy. Along with Santos’ arrival to City ground, Forest had also acquired the services of seven other players in the span of 48 hours during deadline day to total 15 total incomings. Among those players were two senior midfielders in Ibrahima Sangare who became Forest’s record signing, and Nicolas Dominguez.
Almost immediately the problem with the loan becomes obvious as Santos is now also struggling for minutes in this Forest squad. The 19-year-old is yet to register a single Premier league minute this season and is in a squad with a surplus of other senior midfielders that are hindering his development.
It’s an unfortunate situation considering there were certainly better options on the table for Santos including a possible loan to Porto. Yet, Chelsea cannot blame anyone but themselves. Those are the risks you take when you implement such a transfer strategy, many of the young talents bought may never play a minute for the West London outfit. Especially considering a bulk of them are competing for the same positions.
Even if the starlet is to be recalled in January, the path to starting for the Blues is still steep with Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Conor Gallagher, Lesley Ugochukwu and Romeo Lavia returning from injury. That would mean he’d have to be loaned out again and would have to significantly impress to even have a chance of being around the squad next season. Yet, if there’s any young player to prove his worth it will be Santos, his talent at all levels so far has been undeniable. Will Andrey Santos break into Chelsea’s team?