Romano says more than 6 clubs want Chelsea’s £18m man on loan

Fabrizio Romano reveals Andrey Santos has loan offer but is likely to remain at Chelsea next season

According to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea’s January signing Andrey Santos has been approached by six clubs for a loan move from Italy, Portugal, and Premier League teams.

The transfer guru also confirms the player has impressed Mauricio Pochettino and his staff in pre-season games and training and could be part of his plans for the upcoming campaign.

The Brazilian played in Chelsea’s preseason games after receiving approval for his visa to join the club, and it appears that the Argentine manager had a positive reaction to his results.

Chelsea signed Santos for £18 million from Vasco da Gama, and the club believes he is capable of playing an important role next season, alongside Enzo Fernandez.

Besides him, the former Paris Saint-Germain manager has to make decisions on other youngsters’ futures as well, with Carney Chukwuemeka, Cesare Casadei, and Angelo Gabriel’s futures yet to be decided.

However, the Brazilian’s future seems to lie at Chelsea next season, given that the Blues are currently in need of a defensive midfielder who can complement Fernandez. We are currently pursuing Moises Caicedo, who can fill in in their holding midfielder area and the talks are still going on with Brighton & Hove Albion.

Santos might serve as Caicedo’s backup for the upcoming campaign if Chelsea are successful in acquiring the Ecuadorian midfielder. The fact that the 19-year-old has won over Pochettino bodes well for his ability to play regularly in the Premier League.

Santos is too young, though, and may find it challenging to settle in in his first season in the English top division, so it makes sense to use him as a reserve. If we believe that there is enough depth in midfield to let him leave temporarily and continue his development, then it could be a smart option too.

More Chelsea News

• Chelsea consider hijacking Liverpool move for PSG star Kylian Mbappe
• Moises Caicedo and his agents will ask Brighton & Hove Albion to decrease their asking price
• Following the club’s agreement to sign Axel Disasi, Trevoh Chalobah is ready to leave Chelsea

It honestly all depends on the incomings. We have sold so many first-team stars, especially in midfield, that any Chelsea midfielder being linked with a transfer, albeit an inexperienced one being linked with a loan move, is enough to worry the fanbase. Caicedo won’t be enough. We need another one after that, and only then should we think about loaning out players.