Liam Rosenior’s faith in Andrey Santos is no longer just a compliment, it is a statement of intent. A year ago, Rosenior described the Brazilian loanee as “playing like he’s 32,” praising his intelligence, duel-winning ability, and goal-scoring instincts. Back then, people saw it as mere admiration for Santos’ maturity at Strasbourg. Today, those words foreshadow the pivotal role the 21-year-old is carving out at Chelsea. Under Rosenior, Santos has featured in all but one of the head coach’s first six matches, starting four, including crucial fixtures against Arsenal and Napoli. By contrast, under former boss Enzo Maresca, Santos struggled to secure starts, appearing in just eight of Chelsea’s first 29 games this season.
Tactical Role and Positional Discipline
Santos’ rise has been aided by Cole Palmer’s fitness issues, which have shifted Enzo Fernandez into a more advanced midfield role. Rosenior, however, prefers a genuine double pivot at the base of midfield rather than inverting a full-back alongside Moises Caicedo. Santos has emerged as the preferred partner for the Ecuadorian, cementing his position as Chelsea’s deepest midfielder. It is a role that allows him to circulate the ball with short, easy passes, and Caicedo a little higher up but not as high as his forwards, both in attack and when he defends.
Under Maresca, Andrey Santos was used alternately as a pivot or attacking midfielder. Rosenior’s system has cleared this up, by playing to Santos’ strengths and supplying some structural balance with the formation. His deep positioning allows Chelsea to operate with a semi-four or semi-five defensive shape, freeing Caicedo to roam, press higher, and add an extra goal threat. Santos’ positional discipline was visible on his touch maps versus Crystal Palace and Napoli, and off the ball, he took man-marking responsibility, curtailing threats such as Brennan Johnson with tackles in the Chelsea penalty box.
Andrey Santos is a special player, ju look at this performance, he make everything looks simple. Glad the board is trusting him and went against signing any new midfielder pic.twitter.com/Ta2ChjTORI
— CFCDatro (@CFCDatro) January 30, 2026
Technical Maturity and Areas for Growth
Santos’ confidence on the ball and composure under pressure are central to Rosenior’s tactical plan. Early glimpses of his Vasco da Gama days, where he would dribble from his own penalty area, suggest technical maturity that suits Chelsea’s possession-based approach. That said, moments of vulnerability have emerged. In Chelsea’s Carabao Cup semi-final defeat to Arsenal, Caicedo’s absence exposed Santos’ defensive limitations when paired with the less defensively robust Fernandez. Similarly, against Napoli, a misjudged pass left Fofana isolated, resulting in a conceded goal. These episodes underscore the risks of placing a 21-year-old at the heart of Chelsea’s midfield but they also highlight his potential when partnered effectively.
Santos’ physicality and ball-playing ease Caicedo’s burden on defensive duels, as well as making it easier for Emery’s side to progress the ball there is no natural alternative when Cucurella or Malo Gusto shift to a central role if they are simply not enough. One thing that has changed with his deployment at Chelsea is that he’s also had fewer chances to score. In Ligue 1, Andrey Santos scored 10 goals in a season, combining attacking timing and set-piece efficiency. While his offensive output may diminish, Chelsea’s set-piece coach can still harness Santos’ instincts to maintain an occasional threat.
Looking Ahead: Santos as Chelsea’s Midfield Pillar
In the long term, Santos looks set to face a battle for minutes with Palmer returning and a fit-again Romeo Lavia. But all the signs are that Rosenior sees Santos as one of the mainstays of his midfield blueprint, and will give him the opportunity to prove that he should be around for a while at Stamford Bridge. If he can maintain a balance between tactical discipline and technical scope, Santos may even attempt to replicate the calmness and authority of Brazilian legend Dunga who was anchorman at 30 in his side that went on to win the World Cup. That could be priceless, the kind of safe pair of feet, and brain for football at that level, Chelsea may well need in midfield.
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