Admirers are being gathered. Enquiries are being made. And it’s becoming more and more clear Chelsea have a decision to make – and the player’s parent club could be forced into it sooner than expected given his form on-loan with French partners Strasbourg.
The potential. For Santos and its sponsors, it’s been there. While it is not for Steve Cooper, the former director of Nottingham Forest. But in Chelsea. de.
And now, after 12 months of Ligue 1 football, that perspective and projection is becoming a reality. To the point that local football heavyweights are promoting the 20-year-old midfielder at Olympique de Marseille and PSG.
Indeed, the influential journalist Pierre Menes, after seeing Santos star in RCS’s 1-1 draw with Marseille on the weekend, encouraged the Parisians to ‘slum it’ and get serious about the free-scoring Brazilian.
“Andrey Santos is compatible with Luis Enrique’s game,” Menes said on his popular YouTube channel. “He would have a bit more of a defensive role, which would move Vitinha forward, who would then have a bigger offensive impact on PSG’s game.
“But will PSG have the intelligence to watch a Strasbourg player? Let me say I’d doubt that…”
Maybe Menes is right, that is, if Santos belonged to RCS. But the player remains connected to Chelsea, where he is locked up until 2030. PSG may find themselves face to face with StrasbourgArray, but the chance of landing a Chelsea prospect with a Santos prospect may prove too tempting to ignore.
Certainly, Santos’ impressive six goals – out of midfield – in 17 L1 games does have scouts from Europe’s biggest clubs now regular attendees at Strasbourg’s Stade de la Meinau. Bayern Munich, for one, have made contact with Chelsea about a summer deal. AC Milan, meanwhile, have assigned a scout to RCS games over the past six weeks with the brief to follow Santos’ progress.
“Andrey (Santos) is incredible,” RCS manager Liam Rosesenior said at the start of the season. “It is a wonderful emotion to work with him. This week I spoke a lot with him about his positioning, with the aim of getting him to touch the ball more.
“He is in wonderful shape and progresses every day before my eyes. He is a simple player to coach, who has a wonderful character. I am satisfied with him. “
Bosser’s comments come just days before Santos was handed over the captaincy in the absence of Habib Diarra. Once again, at 20 years old and abroad, wearing the RCS armband is not a throwaway move by the Santos coach.
“He constantly shows professionalism every day in his work, he constantly wants to improve and constantly trains at 100%,” says Rosenior.
“There were other players who had a smart cause to be captain, but I felt like the right choice. “
As mentioned, in Forest under Cooper, Santos may simply see those six months that happened in City Ground. But in Rosenior he discovered a manager who not only believes in him, but also fully trusts him.
“Andrey is a top player, he is a true professional,” Rosenior has also stated. “He works every day to progress and improve. On the pitch, he plays like a very experienced player, almost like a coach.”
And beyond the field. Beyond explorers and rumors. Santos is also captivating the home fans. The young user now gives his flash interviews in French. A gesture that has only gone down well with RCS fans, but also with the general football public throughout France.
These are moves that push personalities like Menes to urge PSG to keep Santos in Ligue 1. And given the club’s link with Brazilian football, and what PSG can offer a young player, Chelsea may find themselves with a skill that captivates you. turned.
The new Rai or Valdo? Following in the footsteps of Ronaldinho and Thiago Silva? Of course, the culture and history are there. Santos will be aware of this. Just like their goalkeepers. They do not have the profile of Barcelona or Real Madrid in Brazil, however, it is close. Santos choosing PSG over Chelsea would be included in the home game.
Therefore, Chelsea will have to be careful. Santos, at 20, is demonstrating himself. Best of all, after little a year in senior European football, it exceeds past expectations. If progress continues at this rhythm, do not be surprised if the PSG accepts the suggestion of necessary . . .