Chelsea’s large squad will surely need to be trimmed down before next season starts, so any exits could open the door for other players.
The future of Blues youngster Andrey Santos, 20, is certainly one of the more interesting stories to watch out for.
Santos spent last season out on two different loan spells. The first half of the season was a difficult time at Nottingham Forest, but he showed during the second half of the campaign with Strasbourg his true quality.
The Athletic recently claimed that Chelsea believe Santos is already worth several times what they paid for him in January 2023.
Is the Brazilian midfielder ready to make an impact in the first team at Stamford Bridge, though?
Andrey Santos should get chance at Chelsea if Lesley Ugochukwu leaves
There’s been yet another change of management at Chelsea this summer, so how will new head coach Enzo Maresca rate Santos?
Journalist Eduardo Burgos recently reported via X that Santos is set to get pre-season under Maresca before his future is decided.
The Chelsea Chronicle thinks that a new transfer rumour should only boost Santos’ chances of staying with the senior squad in the upcoming 2024/25 campaign.
According to Foot Mercato, Everton are keen on signing Chelsea’s Lesley Ugochukwu. Apparently, the Blues are even keen to loan him out to a rival Premier League club next season.
Lesley Ugochukwu, 20, is a towering defensive midfielder that still played 15 matches for Chelsea last season across all competitions despite being a fringe man.
If he leaves the squad, Santos is definitely the sort of young profile that makes sense as a like-for-like replacement to play the No 6 midfield position.
Let’s remember that the Chelsea squad may be tested further next year because of the club’s involvement in Europe as well as domestic competitions.
Enzo Maresca should decide in the US
Chelsea play six friendly matches during their upcoming pre-season tour in the United States.
We’d love to see Santos get a fair crack this summer to try and impress Maresca.
Chelsea’s senior central midfielders for next season could include the likes of Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
But there could be a genuine room for Santos in a squad role, especially if Ugochukwu goes on loan.
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