Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos has had to wait for his moment at Stamford Bridge, but the 21-year-old now appears to be moving into a more prominent role after a winding first chapter of his European career.
Signed from Vasco da Gama in 2023, the Brazilian arrived with a big reputation. However, Chelsea’s midfield depth meant his pathway would be gradual. Loans and short spells around the first-team squad formed part of the process.
Now, after winning the Club World Cup and building a strong relationship with a familiar coach, Santos feels his development inside the club is accelerating.
“When you arrive very young, everything becomes a learning process,” he said to Brazilian outlet Lance. “I signed with Chelsea in the 2023-24 season and every experience helped me mature.”
Club World Cup moment helped Santos settle
One of Santos’ key early milestones with Chelsea came during the Club World Cup, when he lifted his first professional trophy.
Although he was not initially a regular starter under Enzo Maresca, the Brazilian gradually found more opportunities as the competition progressed.
“My relationship with Enzo was very good. I learned a lot from him,” Santos explained. “The minutes weren’t very high, but I understood because of the competition.”
It’s not the first time he praises the Spanish manager. Still, the midfielder said his role grew during the later rounds of the tournament, which helped him gain confidence inside the squad.
“I started playing more from the quarter-finals. That helped me gain confidence from the staff and everyone at the club.”
And of course, winning the trophy also carried special meaning for the player personally. “It was my first title as a professional player, so it will always stay in my memory.”
Chelsea midfield competition remains intense
Even with that progress, Santos continues to operate in one of the Premier League’s most competitive midfield departments.
World Cup winner Enzo Fernández and Ecuador international Moisés Caicedo remain central figures in Chelsea’s engine room. Despite the competition, Santos insists the dynamic between them is healthy.
“We are very good friends, which is strange because we play in the same position,” he said. “We are always together at the training ground, joking and talking.”
However, the rivalry becomes more visible once training games begin.
“Then it becomes intense. Nobody wants to lose, especially when it’s Brazil against Argentina or Brazil against Ecuador.”
Santos also highlighted how sharing a dressing room with players such as Cole Palmer and fellow Brazilian João Pedro has helped push his level higher. Fair to say that the Brazilian connection matters to him.
“When you are with the best players your concentration has to be higher,” he said. “Your level ends up rising.”
Rosenior relationship shaped Santos’ confidence
Another factor helping Santos settle at Chelsea is his relationship with Liam Rosenior, which he already explained before.
The pair had already worked together earlier in Santos’ European journey. According to the midfielder, their connection began in an unexpected way.
During pre-season, Santos needed to ask permission to delay his return by a day so he could attend his son’s ultrasound appointment.
“I sent a message asking if I could arrive one day later because I wanted to go to my son’s first ultrasound,” he recalled. Rosenior immediately agreed.
“He didn’t think twice. From that moment we created a very strong connection.”
The Brazilian also remembers the first conversation they had when he arrived. “The first thing he asked me wasn’t about football. He asked about my wife and my son”, he said.
For Santos, moments like that reveal why the coach has such a strong relationship with players. “That shows a lot about the person he is.”
Surprise reunion at Chelsea
The midfielder was therefore delighted when the pair eventually reunited at Stamford Bridge. Santos revealed they had stayed in touch even after going their separate ways. At one point, the coach even told him they would work together again.
“We spoke one day and I told him I would love to work with him again,” Santos said. “He told me we would work together again one day.”
The moment Chelsea decided to bring Rosenior in came as a surprise.
“After the match against Manchester City, one of the directors and an owner showed me the conversation with him. They gave me the news before everyone else.”
For Santos, that familiarity made the transition easier. “It’s different when you work with someone who already knows your potential.”
As the Brazilian continues to fight for minutes in a stacked Chelsea midfield, those relationships and early experiences may prove key to his long-term place at Stamford Bridge.