La Liga champions Barcelona are reportedly monitoring the situation of 19-year-old Chelsea prodigy Andrey Santos at Nottingham Forest.
According to a report by Spanish outlet SPORT, Andrey Santos is the subject of interest from Barcelona. The reigning La Liga champions are scouring the market for a young holding midfielder. The 19-year-old Chelsea midfield prospect has thus emerged as a viable target for the Blaugrana.
Andrey Santos spent most of his formative years in his homeland, rising through the ranks at Vasco da Gama before becoming a regular for them. The Brazilian wonderkid is one of the best young prospects to emanate from his homeland in the last few years. And his progress captured the attention of several high-profile clubs in the last 12 months.
Well-known outfits like Barcelona and Real Madrid were keen on securing Santos’s services last year. But Chelsea beat the competition to seal the agreement over a deal for the 19-year-old in January. However, the youngster spent the first six months of 2023 at Vasco da Gama as he awaited a work permit.
Santos finally received his work permit this past summer and enjoyed a solid pre-season campaign with Chelsea. But with the West London club making multiple signings in the summer transfer window, a loan move seemed the best idea for the young midfielder. And Chelsea shipped him off on loan to Nottingham Forest.
Santos has yet to make his Premier League debut for Nottingham Forest and has only appeared in the EFL Cup thus far. So, the loan move has not worked out thus far, with Chelsea closely monitoring his situation. But Barcelona will also have a close eye on things at City Ground as they scour the market for a holding midfielder.
Barcelona signed two midfielders in the summer transfer window, with Oriol Romeu and Ilkay Gundogan arriving at the club. But both players are on the wrong side of 30, making them only short-term solution for the Blaugrana. So, Barcelona should invest in a younger midfielder, with players like Gabriel Moscardo emerging as targets.
Andrey Santos is also a viable target, considering he is one of the most highly-rated Brazilian midfielders. But Chelsea might not entertain any bids for the 19-year-old prodigy, considering coaches at the West London club rate him highly.
