Foundering Premier League giants Chelsea have once again opened their checkbook during a transfer window after the Blues completed the signing of highly-rated Brazilian youngster Andrey Santos.
The 18-year-old youth international midfielder became the twelfth signing of the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital ownership regime since the summer, taking Chelsea’s spending to well over £300m.
Official, confirmed. Andrey Santos has signed as new Chelsea player on long term contract from Vasco da Gama 🔵🇧🇷 #CFC
Understand Chelsea will pay €12.5m fee to Vasco for Brazilian talent born in 2004. He’s in London since last week. pic.twitter.com/699Dnx6iP4
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 6, 2023
A graduate of CR Vasco Da Gama’s vaunted youth academy setup, Santos spent ten years coming through the ranks at the Rio de Janeiro outfit before making his competitive debut at the age of 16 back on 6 March of 2021. But Santos was not finished leaving his mark on the club when during the 2022 season he became the youngest goalscorer in club history during a Série B clash with Náutico after he had earned his way into the first-choice XI under manager Zé Ricardo on his way to featuring 36 times across all competitions.
In a deal that has set Chelsea back just €12.5m (£11m), the Blues can at least take solace in the fact that they acquired a player with a high ceiling of potential for what is a lower fee in comparison to what they may still be made to pay for SL Benfica’s Enzo Fernández, or the fee levied for Real Marid to acquire compatriot Endrick.
Santos’ deal follows earlier business this season that saw the Blues prize away multiple talents 19-year-old or younger in the vein of Aston Villa’s Carney Chukwuemeka (19), Inter Milan’s Cesare Casadei (19), Chicago Fire’s Gabriel Slonina (18), along with Wesley Fofana (22) in the summer, while Benoît Badiasile (21) and David Datro Fofana (20) were also signed during the current winter window.
On the available evidence, it appears that Chelsea may well be in line to actually begin to structure their squad building under the new regime with the future in mind, but for a club that has a history of spending haphazardly and hoping the moves stick, they still have a lot to prove.
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