Chelsea cannot do the registration of Andrey Santos in the EPL yet as the player is still a U-21 prodigy. Chelsea have confirmed it. The Brazilian footballer has finally got his chance to represent Chelsea at the senior level. Andrey Santos spent the last season as a loanee at R. Strasbourg. But this is not the first time as Chelsea had sent the player on loan in past seasons, too. Despite being just a 21-year-old teenager, Andrey Santos caught the interest of Chelsea quickly. Santos was the academy graduate of the Brazilian club Vasco da Gama. In the 2022-23 season, Chelsea bought Santos from his childhood club. Since then, he finally got his desired breakthrough in the ongoing FIFA Club World Cup.
All You Need to Know About Andrey Santos
Footballing country Brazil has always been the epitome of raw talent. Big European clubs always keep their eyes on the academy players. Andrey Santos just started to show off his talents when Chelsea scouts spotted him. The young attacker scored 9 goals in 49 matches for Vasco. After joining the Blues, he couldn’t find his place immediately in the main team. The midfield of Chelsea was already jam-packed with names like Caicedo, Enzo and Cole Palmer. So, Chelsea decided to loan him to Nottingham Forest. After spending a season with Nottingham, he came back to Chelsea. But the Blues once again loaned him out and this time it was R. Strasbourg. This loan move became a blessing in disguise for Andrey Santos. Having already represented the Brazil national team, Andrey Santos played effective and beautiful football for Strasbourg. He bagged 11 goals and 4 assists in the League1. He has already shown great composure on the ball as he barely panics under high-press. His vision and short passing are top notch. All in all, Andrey Santos has all the necessary qualities in himself to shine as a box-to-box midfielder.
What’s the Problem Actually
Even after cracking the main team of Chelsea after years of waiting, Andrey Santos cannot be a registered Chelsea footballer in the upcoming Premier League season. The EPL has a rule that says that U-21 players from all over the world are open to play throughout the season without being registered. Although Andrey Santos is accurately 21-year-old now, as per the rules, he falls under the U-21 category for one last time. According to the rulebook of the English Premier League, a total of 17 foreign players above 21 years are eligible to represent a Premier League club. So this doesn’t mean that the registration of Andrey Santos won’t happen but he can still play in the upcoming season. Moreover, a Premier League club can have a squad size of 25 footballers. This means Chelsea are in no trouble in this criterion also. As a matter of fact, the London-based club has a sufficient number of U-21 players in their team. With Andrey Santos’s inclusion, another top Brazilian wonderkid, Estevao is all set to join Chelsea next season from Palmeiras.
Author’s Note: Andrey Santos is Already in Maresca’s Plan
Meanwhile, Chelsea’s Italian manager Enzo Maresca has already given Andrey Santos game time in the ongoing FIFA Club World Cup. Having played 3 games so far, the exciting prospect has already registered 1 assist. Despite just being a young vicenarian, Santos is already a mature player with enough top-tier match experience. The Brazilian is highly similar with the profile of Argentine international Enzo Fernandez. But that is too early to claim. Santos has to fight for his opportunity. Under a visionary manager like Maresca, Andrey Santos is bound to flourish.
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