Does Andrey Santos have a future at Chelsea? Journalist provides key update on Brazilian midfielder

Journalist Graeme Bailey has warned Andrey Santos that he is already fighting for his future at Chelsea. He believes that the Brazilian midfielder needs to impress in pre-season, though the Blues have indicated that he will be in the squad next season.

Speaking to TBR Football, Bailey said that Chelsea has taken Santos to the FIFA Club World Cup to acclimate him to the tactics of Enzo Maresca. They believe in the midfielder and see him as a part of the future, but he needs to do better on the pitch after a poor show in his lone appearance at the tournament.

He said:

“Chelsea are briefing that Santos is fully part of their plans — that was always the case. Obviously, during the Club World Cup he hasn’t been massively involved, so let’s see how it goes. I think Chelsea are very open with what they want to do with him. As it stands, they are saying that he stays and is part of the first team squad, but could that change? Of course it could."

“This is Chelsea we’re talking about, and from that point of view, if you’re not hitting your straps then there won’t be a place for you in the squad. I think Santos is going to have to really impress and impress quickly otherwise there won’t be a future for him at Stamford Bridge.”

Santos was on loan at Strasbourg for the last 18 months and impressed. He has been noted as one of the best U21 stars and has attracted interest from several clubs, including Arsenal and Bayern Munich.

Enzo Maresca remains patient with Andrey Santos at Chelsea

Enzo Maresca spoke about Andrey Santos earlier this summer and claimed that the midfielder was doing well in training. He said that the Brazilian is still learning the system at the club and needs time to adapt.

He said via FotMob:

“Andrey is working with us, he’s working well. He worked already with us last summer in the pre-season, so we know Andrey a little bit. His season has been very good, but I think you need time to adapt. The important thing is that he’s working well. And then in terms of position, I see Andrey in this moment more like Enzo [Fernández]’s position than Moisés [Caicedo] or Roméo [Lavia]’s position."

"And the reason why is because we are here in this moment for this tournament, but we also need to plan for next season, which is the Premier League. And you know that in the Premier League, first of all, you need to be physically strong, because the Premier League demands to be physically strong. So in this moment, I see Andrey as a more attacking midfielder than a defensive midfielder.”

Santos is in line to start against Palmeiras at the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinals. The Blues are without Moises Caicedo because of a suspension, while Romeo Lavia was not spotted in open training on Wednesday.