Andrey Santos headed in a dramatic late winner last night to earn his loan team Strasbourg 3 points.
That goal triggered plenty of discussion about his future, with several of the Chelsea beat writers clearly singing from the same hymn sheet (or reading from the same Whatsapp group chat) as they all reported at roughly the same time that Santos has a strong chance of returning to the same team for next season on loan.
Clearly nothing is decided yet, with Ben Jacobs noting that Chelsea and the midfielder “will now discuss the future.”
But with Romeo Lavia and Lesley Ugochukwu looking to be fit for the first team next season, there’s hardly a need for Santos, so continuing to develop has to be the priority. Transfermarkt show his value is hovering slightly below the €12.5m we paid for him, and he needs to continue playing as he has done for the club to feel he’s on the right track.
Santos has really impressed at Strasbourg, with Patrick Patrick Vieira's side getting some big wins since late March to secure safety.
Chelsea and Santos will now discuss the future. Real chance he is sent back to Strasbourg for another season on loan.🇧🇷 https://t.co/kMGnSm2M9i
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) May 13, 2024
A sensible option – despite bigger and better temptations
It was a season which very much looked like it wasn’t going to work out for Andrey, so we’re so happy that it got better and better, and last night’s goal was a great cherry on top.
We’re not at all surprised to see speculation about him staying for another year there. While the success he’s had since January will tempt some decision makers into pushing for a bigger and better loan, his experiences at Nottingham Forest between August and January should encourage a safer approach this time.
There’s still plenty he can learn from Ligue 1 and from working with Patrick Vieira, so we’re all in favour of 12 months more in Alsace. He will likely get a preseason with Mauricio Pochettino once again to check on his progress, but he remains a prime candidate for a loan.
