Transfer Centre

Chelsea 'expect to win race for Andrey Santos'

By Darren Plant, Senior ReporterPublished: 21 December 2022 12:16 PM

Chelsea reportedly expect to win the race to sign Vasco da Gama youngster Andrey Santos in the January transfer window.

Chelsea reportedly expect to win the race to sign Vasco da Gama midfielder Andrey Santos.

After their successful takeover at the end of May, a consortium led by Todd Boehly spearheaded a record-breaking financial outlay in the transfer market.

However, a period of upheaval which included Graham Potter replacing Thomas Tuchel as head coach has resulted in Chelsea enduring a mixed 2022-23 thus far.

Although they have reached the last 16 of the Champions League, the Blues sit in eighth position in the Premier League, and there are plans to make alterations to the squad in the summer.

Last week, it was claimed that Molde forward David Datro Fofana was likely to move to Stamford Bridge in a bid to boost Chelsea's fortunes in front of goal.

Chelsea owner and chairman Todd Boehly pictured in the stands on August 27, 2022 © Reuters

As well as the Ivorian, Brazilian youngster Santos has been heavily linked with a switch to the West Londoners at the midway point of the campaign.

Despite widespread interest, talkSPORT claims that Chelsea are likely to secure the signature of the prospect.

While Santos spent the 2022 campaign playing in the second tier of Brazilian football, the 18-year-old has attracted many admirers in his 33 appearances.

Santos netted as many as eight goals during those outings, despite being better known for the defensive side of his game.

Chelsea head coach Graham Potter during game against Red Bull Salzburg on October 25, 2022. © Reuters

Should Chelsea beat the likes of Newcastle United to his signature in the coming weeks, it remains unclear whether Santos will immediately be considered for selection in the first team.

Although Chelsea are well stocked in that area of the pitch, the likes of Jorginho and N'Golo Kante are currently in line to leave the club in the summer at the end of their contracts.

Chelsea announced on Wednesday that Christopher Vivell had finally completed his switch from RB Leipzig to become the club's new technical director.

That is likely to lead to Chelsea being proactive in the market once Vivell has assessed and discussed potential targets with Potter and the rest of the recruitment staff.