Andrey Santos has taken a major step towards his competitive debut for Chelsea after securing his work permit.
Officials at Stamford Bridge have confirmed Santos’ availability for Mauricio Pochettino next season after he excelled in the pre-season friendly win over Wrexham.
The 19-year-old midfielder first had a work permit rejected in January but is now free to play in the Premier League.
The one-time Brazil international has been training under Pochettino since joining up with the squad on July 3.
Santos is currently in Philadelphia ahead of the Premier League Summer Series, which starts against Brighton this weekend.
Chelsea have not confirmed whether or not he will be part of Pochettino’s first-team plans after pre-season but he has a real chance of winning a place to avoid going out on loan.
He chose the Blues over Newcastle when he joined for £18million from Vasco da Gama in the January transfer window.
