After their 3-3 draw away to French behemoths Paris Saint-Germain, Strasbourg appeared to be eyeing Champions League qualification.
But a recent winless run of four matches in Ligue 1 has seen them fall off the pace and left Liam Rosenior reminiscing about a former star.
Strasbourg head coach Liam Rosenior.
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Rosenior has overseen a dip in form of late as Strasbourg bossCredit: AFP
Strasbourg have risen up the ranks in France ever since BlueCo, the consortium who own Chelsea, completed their takeover in June 2023.
They sit top of this season's UEFA Conference League table and have some of Europe's most promising prospects on their books.
But they have dropped from second to seventh in Ligue 1 and haven't won in the top flight since November 9, when they beat Lille 2-0.
Whilst a 0-0 draw with Lorient on Sunday ended their losing run of three, in-demand head coach Rosenior called for more open ears from his squad.
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And European football journalist Andy Brassell has recalled when the Strasbourg boss said he is longing for an ex-loanee - Andrey Santos.
Speaking to talkSPORT.com, he explained: "The other interesting thing that Rosenior said after the game against Lorient at the weekend, when he was talking about getting players who can follow his instructions, he was saying, 'We really miss Andrey Santos'.
"Which is quite interesting because obviously, he's had a little bit of a go at Chelsea. I wonder if it's past the point where he can go back to Strasbourg, really.
"Because he's not incapable of playing Premier League games, there's no doubt about that. But he is someone they would love back.
"There's absolutely no doubt about that because they feel, and Rosenior feels, he is the guy who can kind of unlock the door, really, for them.
"So it'll be interesting to see if something happens with that in the future."
Andrey Santos celebrates for Strasbourg.
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Santos excelled during his loan spell at StrasbourgCredit: AFP
Strasbourg head coach Liam Rosenior.
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And it seems as though Rosenior is missing the quality that he brought in midfieldCredit: Getty
Strasbourg saviour to Chelsea squad player
Brazilian outfit Vasco da Gama bid farewell to their midfield prospect Santos in early 2023 when Chelsea signed him for around £18million.
He returned on loan until the summer and then joined Nottingham Forest for their Premier League return, but his move was cut short.
Chelsea sent him to sister club Strasbourg for the rest of the 2023/24 campaign and later extended the deal for the following season.
Santos scored 11 goals and assisted five others in 34 appearances in all competitions as he shone throughout his second spell in France.
The Brazil international was key to their seventh-place finish in Ligue 1 that secured their qualification for Europe's third-tier tournament.
Now he is back at Chelsea and has featured 22 times for them so far this season, scoring one goal and assisting five.
Andrey Santos celebrates for Strasbourg.
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Santos wad influential in the club's rise up the Ligue 1 table last seasonCredit: AFP
However, amid competition from ever-present duo Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, and Romeo Lavia, he isn't a regular starter.
Santos has featured in a Premier League starting XI just four times at Chelsea, and made seven appearances as a substitute.
The 21-year-old will surely want further minutes across the rest of the season, especially with the World Cup just six months away.
And while Brassell hinted earlier that a Strasbourg return may now be beyond him, their head coach may push to reunite with Santos.
"He [Rosenior] understands where they are in the pyramid as far as BlueCo goes," Brassell said.
"He understands, I think, the advantages and the disadvantages of where they are.
Andrey Santos celebrates for Chelsea.
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Santos has played plenty of minutes for Chelsea, but not made consistent startsCredit: Getty
"But I think if there's a moment, when you're going to give the club a bit of a nudge to say, 'I need some help in the window', I don't think the second week of December is a bad place to plant that flag, really.
"So, I think he knows what he's doing."
Santos success at Chelsea so far
Although his current role may be defined as bit part, Santos has still made an impression during his outings for Chelsea.
He made his Blues debut in the summer during their 3-0 Club World Cup group stage win over Esperance Sportive de Tunis.
Santos assisted Tyrique George for their third goal and made another three appearances as Chelsea won the newly- expanded tournament.
The Rio de Janeiro-born talent earned his Premier League debut on the opening weekend as they drew 0-0 at home to Crystal Palace.
Enzo Maresca and Andrey Santos.
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Maresca has plenty of midfield options at Chelsea, with Santos being a useful assetCredit: Getty
But much of his on-pitch success in Chelsea colours so far has come in cup competitions.
Santos got onto the scoresheet for the first time and assisted in a 4-3 win against Wolves in the Carabao Cup.
He also teed up Pedro Neto for their second goal in the 3-1 quarter-final victory over Cardiff City on Tuesday night.
Head coach Enzo Maresca has also given him crucial experience in the Champions League, including a start in the 2-2 draw with Qarabag.
Santos also featured in their huge 3-0 victory at home to Barcelona, with his total minutes across all competitions sitting at 854.
Chelsea have plenty to play for throughout the rest of the 2025/26 season, and Santos will play a key role for Maresca in squad rotation.
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Strasbourg head coach Liam Rosenior.
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Rosenior has helped spearhead project at Strasbourg under BlueCoCredit: AFP
But his former club Strasbourg will be left wondering how much their fortunes could change if he had a third, and potentially final, spell.
Rosenior will have to forget about the 'What if's' for now though, and steer them back towards the top four in Ligue 1.