Who is Andrey Santos? What Chelsea can expect from Brazilian midfielder

Chelsea are closing in a deal to sign Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos from Vasco da Gama as the latest part of their ongoing quest to sign the game’s best young talents.

The likes of Manchester City, Barcelona and Newcastle United have all chased the 18-year-old but it appears as though Chelsea and manager Graham Potter have done enough to get a deal done, agreeing to a move which could cost them up to £20m.

But who is Andrey Santos and what makes him such a special talent?

Introduced to futsal at the age of four in an attempt to lose weight, Santos quickly fell in love with the game and initially began as a defender, where it was soon decided his talents were wasted.

In the Vasco academy, Santos was moved to midfield. He has admitted he loved the move because it allowed him to get more involved in scoring goals, while his mother celebrated what she believed was a jump-up in value.

A 17-year-old Santos was given his senior debut in March 2021 and he’d go on to make his first start right at the end of that season, but the occasion was drowned out by boos from supporters at the end of a campaign which saw Vasco fail to return to Brazil’s top flight.

In an attempt to kick-start a new era, manager Ze Ricardo took a shining to Santos and made him a permanent starter, and the midfielder hasn’t looked back since. 2022 was a stellar year for the midfielder, who became the youngest goalscorer in club history when he netted against Nautico in June.

At international level, Santos began with Brazil’s Under-16s in 2019 and has since featured for both the Under-18s and Under-20s.

Santos’ primary position is as a typical central midfielder – the number eight role, in the modern game.

With a 5’11 frame, Santos takes the role of a box-to-box powerhouse. His lanky stature and impressive stamina see him charge around the field in an attempt to impact things at both ends of the field.

Given a lot of freedom to roam around, Santos enjoys carrying the ball forward and keeping things ticking with simple, yet necessary passes to evade pressure and allow his more-creative teammates to shine.

Importantly, Santos has not forgotten his defensive roots. Occasionally used as a loan defensive midfielder, he is happy to do the ugly work and has forged an impressive reputation as an efficient tackler, both in the air and on the ground.

Despite not being the biggest of midfielders, Santos makes his frame go a long way. His long legs allow him to cover ground very quickly, helping him get back…