Chelsea have agreed to send Andrey Santos on loan to RC Strasbourg for the 2024/25 campaign but the 20-year-old remains a huge part of the London club’s future.
The midfielder spent the second half of last season on loan with the French club as the Ligue 1 outfit are also run by Chelsea’s ownership group. The Brazilian racked up 11 games in the French top flight, netting one goal along the way.
This followed a failed loan spell with Nottingham Forest, where Santos got very little game time, which is crucial for the player at this stage of his career.
Chelsea are aware of this and according to Fabrizio Romano, the midfielder will join Strasbourg again on loan for the 2024/25 campaign. However, the Brazilian talent remains a huge part of the Premier League club’s future, states the transfer journalist.
The 20-year-old will spend pre-season with Chelsea as they tour the United States. The Premier League outfit will play five games in the states and this will give new Blues boss Enzo Maresca a chance to look at Santos before he goes to France.
Romano reports that Borussia Dortmund were interested in taking Santos on loan for the season, but it was decided that a move to Strasbourg was best.
Minutes are crucial for Andrey Santos’ development
Chelsea completed a deal for Santos in January 2023 as part of an £18m agreement with Brazilian outfit Vasco da Gama.
The midfielder is a highly-rated prospect but has yet to feature in a competitive game for Chelsea having been on loan ever since completing his move to Stamford Bridge.
The midfield area at the Blues is very competitive and it would have been unlikely that Santos received many minutes throughout the upcoming campaign at Stamford Bridge. Sending the player on loan was a smart decision from the West London club as it will benefit the 20-year-old in the long run.
