Barcelona are reportedly planning to make an approach to sign Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos on loan in the upcoming January transfer window.
According to Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), Barcelona have identified Chelsea loanee Andrey Santos as a potential target for the winter transfer market as the Blaugrana search for midfield reinforcement amidst Financial Fair Play constraints.
The 19-year-old Brazilian international is currently on a season-long loan at Nottingham Forest, but things haven’t particularly gone according to plan for him at the City Ground.
Santos has been regularly omitted from Premier League matchday squads at Nottingham Forest, only making his league debut at the end of October in a seven-minute cameo against Liverpool. He hasn’t been included in a matchday squad since early November.
His situation might change, with former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo now in charge after Forest decided to part ways with Steve Cooper. However, with him yet to make a league start for the Tricky Trees, Chelsea have already had enough and are unsurprisingly ready to recall him in January, which opens the door for Barcelona to enter the fray for his services.
The reigning La Liga champions have previously identified the Brazil international as a potential successor to club icon Sergio Busquets, with the belief that he would excel in the system of manager Xavi Hernandez.
Barca’s sporting director Deco is said to have a strong relationship with Santos’ agent, Giuliano Bertolucci, and that could play in the favour of the Blaugrana, who enquired about a loan move for him in July before eventually settling to sign Oriol Romeu from Girona instead.
Despite Barcelona not advancing on the deal during the last transfer window, they could now resurface as a potential fit for the former Vasco da Gama star as a replacement for teenage sensation Gavi, who is set to miss a chunk of the season after undergoing surgery on his ACL injury picked up while on international duty with Spain.
Santos enjoys carrying the ball forward and keeping things ticking with simple, yet boasts exceptional ball control to evade pressure. Although he is primarily a box-to-box powerhouse, he can also be used as a lone defensive midfielder considering he is a strong tackler, duel battler both in the air and on the ground.
