Thiago Silva has congratulated Andrey Santos for his role in Strasbourg's victory against Olympique Lyonnais. The Chelsea loanee - who the Blues signed from Vasco da Gama for £18million in January 2023 - fired the French outfit to glory on Friday night when finding the net in a 4-2 win.
Santos has featured 25 times in Ligue 1 this season, scoring nine goals and providing two assists. Playing a key role in Liam Rosenior's side, the 20-year-old midfielder has helped Strasbourg climb to fifth in the table, and they're just a point from the Champions League qualification spots.
After leading the French club to victory against Lyon, Santos marked the occasion with a celebratory post on Instagram. Captioning a carousel of pictures from the clash, the Brazil international wrote: "Thank you for everything God! Another victory, and another goal, it's for you @savinho. May she come with much sweetness!"
Silva congratulated Santos on his impressive performance in the comments section, showing his true colours as a Chelsea cult hero. The former Blues defender said: "Good one my son! May God bless you."
Santos, who sees his current deal at Stamford Bridge expire in June 2030, has established himself as one of the top young midfielders in France this season. Taking on a leadership role, the Brazilian has donned the captain's armband in each of Strasbourg's last three games.
In a recent interview with French newspaper L'Équipe, Santos showered his head coach with praise. The Chelsea youngster said: "I love working with him. All the players are excited by his commitment, his vision.
"Plus, the style he wants is perfect for me," Santos continued. "He wants possession, to multiply passes to bother opponents, and he wants to win, that’s the most important thing.
"He asks me to do everything; defend, win the ball back and pass it as clean as possible. But he also gives me the freedom to be myself, to shoot from distance, to enter the box. I feel useful."
Speaking to The Athletic earlier this year, Rosenior was just as complimentary. The Strasbourg boss said: "Andrey is going to have a magnificent career. You forget how young some of them are. Andrey plays like he's 32.
"I call him Dunga (after Brazil's 1994 World Cup-winning captain); he's Brazilian but he doesn't play like one. He's so smart and his stats are through the roof, in terms of scoring goals, winning duels. He's going to have an outstanding career."
Nevertheless, speaking to ESPN Brazil earlier this month, Santos looked forward to playing with Estevao Willian at Chelsea. The midfielder said: "Estevao is a top-quality player, world-class. I'm a good friend of Savinho (from Manchester City), he said he's a great person. God willing, he'll go far and we can create a great duo at Chelsea - a duo of Brazilians."
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Chelsea flag prior the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final Leg One match between Chelsea FC and Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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