Chelsea’s midfield has long felt like a beautiful mess which is expensive, talented, and slightly unsure of itself. In that context, Andrey Santos’ rise under Liam Rosenior feels less like a coincidence and more like a correction. At just 21, Santos is still defining his place in English football, but familiarity with his new head coach has accelerated that process, offering a rare sense of continuity in a squad still searching for its identity.
Rosenior’s arrival at Stamford Bridge reunited him with a player who already speaks his footballing language, shaped during Santos’ loan spell at Strasbourg. That shared understanding matters. In a Chelsea side still learning its own rhythms, Santos offers clarity of role and calmness of execution. He knows where to stand, when to drop, and how to play under pressure without panic, qualities that don’t scream for attention but quietly stabilise everything around them, especially in games where Chelsea are forced to defend their structure rather than dominate possession.
The Carabao Cup semi-final at the Emirates captured this perfectly. Santos, deployed at the base of a 3-5-2 midfield, was not the loudest presence on the pitch, but he was one of the most important. His discipline in holding his position allowed others to star, the sign of a player confident that he was trusted by his manager and comfortable with what he needed to do, even in a hostile environment against elite opposition.
Why Santos’ positioning brings out the best in Moises Caicedo
The increasing importance of Andrey Santos is about something other than him. It has a direct impact on the way Chelsea’s midfield is able to operate, particularly Moises Caicedo. With Santos anchoring play just ahead of the defence, Caicedo finally looks unshackled. He can press higher, disrupt earlier, and play on instinct rather than constantly scanning for danger behind him.
Against Arsenal, Santos’ assurance in possession allowed Chelsea to retain control in difficult phases. His passing was tidy, his decision-making efficient, and his defensive work quietly authoritative. These were not headline-grabbing contributions, but they formed the platform for Enzo Fernández to drift into advanced areas and for Caicedo to be aggressive on the front foot.
This is where Rosenior’s understanding proves crucial. Previous attempts to use Santos higher up the pitch, including as a No 8, were logical given his goal output in France. Yet his most natural position has always been deeper, where he can absorb pressure and dictate tempo. Rosenior recognises that Santos’ presence in that role elevates those around him, particularly Caicedo, whose best qualities emerge when he hunts rather than holds.
A quiet rebirth that could reshape Chelsea’s midfield
The significance of Santos’ resurgence becomes clearer when viewed against his recent past. His loan spell at Nottingham Forest, where he featured only twice, threatened to derail his momentum entirely. For a young player, five months on the sidelines can be damaging. Instead, Santos reset, rebuilt, and returned sharper, using the setback as fuel rather than a full stop.
Now, his influence at Chelsea is growing by the week. Training ground work at Cobham has already reflected Rosenior’s tactical trust in him, and although cup success has eluded Chelsea this season, the structural progress is evident. Santos provides balance, discipline, and security, the connective tissue Chelsea’s midfield has sorely lacked, bringing coherence to roles that once felt disconnected.
Not every transformation announces itself loudly. Some happen in the small decisions, the correct positions, the passes that keep everything ticking. If Andrey Santos continues on this path, Chelsea may finally have a midfield that feels coherent and a partnership that allows Caicedo to become the player they thought they were buying, built on trust, structure, and tactical clarity rather than constant adjustment.
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