Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos has emerged as a target for struggling Premier League rivals West Ham, and the Blues’ stance on selling him has now been revealed.
After a very successful loan spell at Strasbourg, Santos is amongst the first team squad at Stamford Bridge and competing for regular minutes.
His development was paused briefly after Santos suffered an injury recently, however he was in the starting side for their 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest.
With the quality of midfielders Chelsea have at the club right now, there were a number of clubs pushing to sign the Brazil international before he had even made his competitive debut for the Blues.
Andrey Santos looks on during Chelsea vs Ajax
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Chelsea firmly against selling Andrey Santos despite West Ham interest
West Ham were linked with signing Santos, and as the January transfer window approaches they will be more than aware they need to make some signings after their nightmare start to the campaign.
Journalist Ben Jacobs has stated that the Chelsea man is on their list of potential signings for a new midfielder, however the Blues are adamant he is not for sale.
He said: “Nuno has asked for more pace in midfield, a six or eight who can get box to box, and I’m told that Kobbie Mainoo is still liked by West Ham, if Manchester United let him leave. Morten Frendrup at Genoa and Andrey Santos at Chelsea are two other players, but as far as Chelsea are concerned, Santos isn’t for sale”
One of their other targets, Kobbie Mainoo, has also previously been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge, with him clearly not near the top of Ruben Amorim’s plans at Old Trafford.
Andrey Santos and Joao Pedro celebrate after Chelsea beat Paris Saint-Germain to win the Club World Cup.
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Andrey Santos impressing teammates at Chelsea
Now he is finally amongst the first team squad in West London, the midfielder has not taken long to leave an impression on his teammates.
Estevao Willian recently praised Santos, with the pair making an impression for both club and country alongside each other.
Despite the obvious competition from Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez and Romeo Lavia, it is clear that Enzo Maresca has not been afraid to turn to the youngster when he feels necessary.
With Fernandez being linked to Real Madrid and Lavia’s fitness issues well-documented, opportunities are going to continue to come his way in the coming weeks and months.