Andrey Santos completed a move away from Stamford Bridge on Friday, and it would be great to see a different Chelsea player follow in his footsteps.
The Blues confirmed on Friday morning that Andrey Santos, 20, has re-signed for Ligue 1 club Strasbourg on a season-long loan. He’s returned to the French outfit after spending the second half of last season on loan with them.
Chelsea youngster Santos has been part of the pre-season trip to the United States, but it’s early ended for him so he can make his temporary transfer.
Respected journalist Fabrizio Romano recently claimed via X that Borussia Dortmund were keen on signing Santos. However, the central midfielder has joined Chelsea’s sister club in France to continue his development in France.
Lesley Ugochukwu should follow Andrey Santos out on loan
Despite Santos leaving Chelsea for the upcoming campaign, the midfield positions in the squad may still be quite overcrowded. Therefore, it could be sensible for Lesley Ugochukwu to follow the same path and chase a loan move.
Ugochukwu, also aged 20, spent his debut season as a Chelsea player last year in the first-team squad. He only played 15 games across all competitions, though.
The £23m Frenchman (BBC) is a powerful defensive midfielder with a real physical presence and potential. But can he get the desired minutes if he stays in the Blues squad for another season?
The most sensible step for him would be to go out on loan to a top-flight club, preferably in England, and play consistently for a year. Romano claimed via X in July that Ugochukwu is expected to leave Chelsea on loan, with interest coming from Premier League and Bundesliga teams.
Ugochukwu hasn’t looked out of place in pre-season and even scored a goal for Enzo Maresca’s side against Wrexham in a friendly match, but the best long-term move is a loan elsewhere.
Chelsea’s stacked midfield
The greatest strength for the Blues going into the new campaign simply has to be the centre of the park.
It’s looking like Chelsea’s main central midfielders for the new season will be Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Romeo Lavia, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Carney Chukwuemeka. On top of that, Cole Palmer and Christopher Nkunku are contenders to play as advanced midfielders in a No 10 spot.
There should be room for Maresca to rotate when it comes to cup competitions, both domestically and in Europe, so a large squad makes sense. However, there’s only going to be so many minutes to share around and Ugochukwu’s next step should be a loan deal.
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