Promising Brazilian star reveals why he did not arrive at Chelsea in January

Andrey Santos reveals work permit issue which prevented him from joining Chelsea in January

According to The Evening Standard, Chelsea new boy Andrey Santos has made a commitment to play for the Blues once his work permit issue is resolved. The Blues signed Santos in January, but a work permit and visa issues prevented him from playing in England.

The 18-year-old returned on loan to Vasco da Gama and will play there until the end of the season. He is expected to make his senior team debut for Brazil against Morocco on Saturday in a friendly match.

Santos led the Brazil U20 squad to the South American Championship title earlier this year, but before the youth World Cup this summer, he wants to establish himself on the senior squad. The fact that he is in contention to make his debut speaks volumes of his ability.

Santos has expressed his frustration about being denied permission to sign with Chelsea this season (h/t Evening Standard), and when asked about the situation during training with the Brazil team, he told reporters:

“I knew I had some chances of not playing [for Chelsea].

“I was confident, but unfortunately I didn’t make it. Life goes on. To be honest, I didn’t know what requirements I needed.

“As far as I know, I need to play in Serie A and I need to go to the Under-20 World Cup. I’m pretty calm. I’m doing my best at my club to achieve my goals.”

It is good to see players keen to don the Blue jersey. At the very least, it gives us a player who is committed to the cause and will be willing to give his all. While ability is one thing, the willingness to fight is an equally important attribute.

The dedication of the young players is admirable since they will be crucial for the Blues next season because Chelsea will require an attacking midfielder. Santos is one of the Chelsea players that has been anticipated to fit in with the project once the new season starts, along with other young players.

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While he will be taking part in the preseason games, he will also have time to get used to his Blues teammates. Let’s hope his work permit situation is handled quickly so he can join the team at the start of the upcoming season.