Chelsea can help Andrey Santos fulfil his dream of becoming the next Casemiro by sanctioning a loan to Porto. The 19-year-old midfielder joined the Blues from Vasco da Gama last summer in a deal worth £18 million.
Following complications with arranging a work permit, Santos returned to the Brazilian outfit on loan for the remainder of the season. Foreign players require a certain number of governing body endorsement points to secure a permit which allows them to play in the Premier League.
Despite leading his country to glory in the Under-20 South American Championship, he still struggled to chalk up enough qualifying points. Santos was a standout performer at the tournament, netting six goals in six games from defensive midfield.
To recognise his incredible efforts, Ramon Menezes handed Santos his debut for the senior side in a friendly against Morocco, where he slotted in alongside Lucas Paqueta and Casemiro. Following the expiration of his loan at Vasco da Gama, he joined up with the Chelsea first-team at Cobham training ground with pre-season preparations underway.
Mauricio Pochettino is currently short on options in midfield following the departures of N'Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mason Mount. Santos will be looking to impress the Argentine in the coming weeks and secure a place in 25-man squad.
However, while the Brazilian will be desperate to test himself in the Premier League, Chelsea have the chance to help him realise his dream of becoming the 'next Casemiro' with a loan spell at Porto - just like his idol once did. According to Portuguese outlet Record, Sergio Conceicao's side hold a serious interest in Santos and he could spend next season at the Estádio do Dragão.
Casemiro enjoyed the formative years of his career on loan at Porto before going on to become one of the world's best defensive midfielders at Real Madrid. In an interview with FIFA+, Santos explained what it was like to play alongside the Manchester United star.
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"I had the chance to play alongside my idol," said the Chelsea ace. "He gave me quite a bit of advice, which I’m going to use to further my career."
Then, on the prospect of playing against Casemiro, Santo added: "I’m delighted to have played with him but, who knows, I might be on the opposite side to him one day? It would make me a better player (laughs). I want to play against Fabinho and Thiago Alcantara too."
