Such has been the madcap nature of Chelsea’s spending under Todd Boehly, it’s all too easy to forget that Chelsea have snapped up one of the brightest talents in South American football. Brazilian dynamo Andrey Santos has the makings of a future superstar.
Go on, we bet you can’t name all 22 of Chelsea’s new recruits this season. It’s basic maths that not every one of their new signings will be a success at Stamford Bridge. But we’re willing to bet Santos will be among those that make it.
Chelsea received some criticism for shelling out a Premier League record £106million for Enzo Fernandez in January, given he arrived at Benfica six months prior for less than a fifth of that. Granted, Fernandez was exceptional in his half-season at Benfica and outstanding in Argentina’s World Cup triumph, but might Chelsea have identified his qualities at River Plate and saved themselves a lot of cash in the process?
To be fair to Chelsea, that’s exactly what they’ve done with Santos. Rather than waiting for the rising star to arrive at a stepping stone club in Portugal before multiplying his value, they went straight to the source to get the 18-year-old midfield powerhouse right now.
Santos had caught the eye at Vasco da Gama. Despite being a teenager making his breakthrough, he played a vital role in the club’s promotion to the Brazilian top-flight – just as Aston Villa’s star midfielder Douglas Luiz had done so before him.
“He’s a strong, box-to-box midfielder – I don’t think Vasco would have been promoted without him,” South American football expert Tim Vickery told Sky Sports when his signing was confirmed.
“But it’s a big step up. He’s not a player who will be ready for Premier League football yet. He’s only 18 – this is one for the future.”
He’s yet to make his Chelsea debut, but the £18million investment already appears a sound one.
In the weeks after putting pen to paper at Stamford Bridge, Santos shone as Brazil’s won the Under-20 CONMEBOL U20 Championship in February. A video of him giving a speech in the dressing room, showcasing his precocious leadership skills, went viral. He scored in the 2-0 final victory over Uruguay and finished the tournament as the joint top-scorer with six goals.
Andrey Santos’ goal for Brazil U20 today may have been lucky and scrappy, but this effort that didn’t go in was the more exciting highlight Chelsea fans want to see.
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