Chelsea's spending in the previous two transfer windows has been the victim of severe criticism by many across the footballing world. A new outlook on the recruitment focus at Stamford Bridge has seen a mixture of arrivals signed, but it's one who is yet to play for the club that has impressed in the past month.
Andrey Santos was signed for £13million from Vasco da Gama in January as part of Todd Boehly's long-term overhaul of Graham Potter's side. The young Brazilian sensation caught the attention of the Blues with his performances in South America, where he made 37 appearances for Vasco, scoring eight.
Since his move to England, Santos has not managed to prove his worth to Potter at Cobham due to his participation in the South American U20 championships. The tournament finished yesterday after more than three weeks of action and Santos was at the centre of the thrilling action.
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Brazil won seven of their nine games throughout the tournament and were crowned champions yesterday with a 2-0 victory over Uruguay. Santos, who captained the Brazilian side, opened the scoring in the 84th minute before Corinthians forward Pedro added a second in injury time.
The goal was Santos' sixth goal of the competition, making him the joint top-scorer alongside Chelsea target Vitor Roque. The feat is some going for a midfielder and offers Chelsea the chance to implement a midfielder with a record of scoring goals.
However, first, they must clear up Santos' work permit issue. Reports in the last week had suggested that Chelsea could be faced with sending the talented midfielder out on loan, should they fail to secure a work permit. According to Globo, Santos does not have enough points to qualify for a UK work permit and the Blues have applied for an exceptional talent via.
Chelsea's growing midfield issues were finally dealt with last month with the arrival of Enzo Fernandez. The World Cup winner became Boehly's priority signing after his performances in Qatar and forced the club to break their transfer record to lure him away from Benfica.
However, with the futures of Mateo Kovacic and N'Golo Kante unclear, another face in the middle of the park may be required for next season and Santos may be the man for Potter.
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