Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos has seen his loan move to Brazilian club Palmeiras collapse after talks between the clubs broke down.
Andrey Santos was expected to go out on loan to Palmeiras. But it seems that the deal has now collapsed. Fabrizio Romano claims that Chelsea and Palmeiras were close to reaching an agreement. But talks have now reached a stalemate, and the 18-year-old wonderkid will not be joining the Brazilian club on loan until the end of the season.
Palmeiras were hoping to sign the Brazilian midfielder until the end of the calendar year. But Chelsea were only hoping to loan him out until the end of the European season. Furthermore, the Blues wanted him to compete in the Under-20 World Cup, starting in May. It appears that Palmeiras are not keen on a short loan move.
It remains to be seen whether the 18-year-old heads out on loan to another Brazilian club in the coming weeks. Santos has not received his work permit, and he will not be able to play for Chelsea this season.
A player of his quality needs to play regularly to continue his development. And a loan move to a Brazilian club would have been ideal for him. Santos could have played in the Copa Libertadores with Palmeiras. And it would have strengthened his case for a work permit next season.
Palmeiras are set to leave negotiations for Andrey Santos after deal agreed on Friday last week with Chelsea. 🚨🔵🇧🇷 #CFC
It was done with medical scheduled but Chelsea wanted Andrey to join World Cup U20 with Brazil — deal looks now set to collapse, as @pedrosa reports. pic.twitter.com/BhL7Ncofnb
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 23, 2023
It remains to be seen what Chelsea decide now. The 18-year-old is highly rated in South America, and he has a big future ahead of him. He will not want to stay at Cobham without competitive football until the end of the season.
With the under-20 World Cup coming up, Santos will be hoping to be in prime condition. And he needs to play more often in order to stay match-fit. The youngster could be an important squad player for Chelsea next season.
Graham Potter needs to add more quality and depth in his midfield. And Santos should prove to be a quality long-term investment. It remains to be seen whether the Blues can secure a work permit for him in the coming months now.
