Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos has attracted attention by praising players from Manchester City and Newcastle United, while also declaring a Manchester United star as his greatest inspiration.
Having risen through the ranks of the Vasco da Gama academy, Santos became a pivotal figure in their first team. The 19-year-old, who captained Brazil U20s to victory in the South American championships last February, garnered interest from numerous European clubs due to his outstanding performances.
Ultimately, Chelsea secured Santos’s services by paying Vasco da Gama £18 million in January last year, and he committed to a substantial seven-and-a-half-year contract. Despite the transfer, Santos spent the remainder of the 2022-23 season on loan at his former Brazilian club, accumulating a commendable record of nine goals in 49 appearances.
During the summer, Santos resumed his role as the Brazil U20 captain for the World Cup campaign, reaching the quarter-finals before being eliminated by Israel U20s. Upon returning to England, Mauricio Pochettino assessed Santos but deemed it necessary for the young talent to gain more senior experience on loan. Consequently, Santos spent the first half of the season at Nottingham Forest, returning after struggling to secure a starting role.
Currently faced with the decision of whether to send Santos out on loan again or retain him in Pochettino’s setup for exposure to senior professionals, Chelsea remains contemplative.
In an interview with AS, Santos discussed his football influences, specifically from the Premier League, putting aside rivalries to commend players from Manchester United, Manchester City, and Newcastle.
“My idol has always been Casemiro,” he stated. “Now I pay a lot of attention to Rodrigo because he is phenomenal. My idols are Rodri, Casemiro, and Bruno Guimaraes.”
Presently preparing to represent Brazil U23s at the CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament, Santos acknowledged the disappointment of his recent campaign and emphasized the valuable lessons learned during challenging times.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t have the first part of the season that I wanted or that the people around me wanted,” he admitted. “I didn’t have many minutes, but I learned a good lesson to mature more.
During training, I was always doing well, always well-focused, always training with intensity, always evolving a lot. That’s what’s important. Now, I’ve just returned from my loan from Nottingham Forest to Chelsea. We have preferred to wait for this situation, wait until after the Pre-Olympic to decide my future.”