Chelsea are currently navigating a crucial final couple of months of their season, but in the back of their minds they’ll know the Club World Cup tournament is just around the corner.
The Blues are looking to finish strongly in their final seven Premier League games. As it stands, they sit fourth in the division table, and the top five qualify for the Champions League. On top of that, Enzo Maresca’s side are competing in the quarter-finals of this season’s Conference League.
In mid-June, the Club World Cup kicks off, which is a 32-team tournament that includes both Chelsea and Manchester City.
Chelsea will take the Club World Cup seriously because of the financial rewards, so it could be an interesting watch for supporters over the summer.
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Chelsea plan to use Andrey Santos at Club World Cup
Chelsea have a number of talented players current thriving out on loan, including Andrey Santos.
Apparently, the on-loan Strasbourg midfielder is going to be drafted straight into the Blues group to feature at the upcoming summer tournament.
According to AS, Chelsea’s plan is to use 20-year-old star Santos at the Club World Cup.
The report suggests the Brazilian talent could be used in a new role to partner Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez in midfield.
Apparently, Chelsea’s hierarchy are counting on Santos to be with them next season and resisted recalling him from his loan in January to allow him to develop further.
Speaking in a recent interview, Santos claimed he’s ready to play for Chelsea when asked about his future. His potential participation in the Club World Cup will give him a head start before next season.
For now, the box-to-box central midfielder will be looking to get Strasbourg over the line for Champions League qualification. Without a doubt, he’s been one of the outstanding performers in the French top flight this season.
| Player | Club | Average match rating |
| Achraf Hakimi | Paris Saint-Germain | 8.03 |
| Ousmane Dembele | Paris Saint-Germain | 7.98 |
| Joao Neves | Paris Saint-Germain | 7.74 |
| Andrey Santos | Strasbourg | 7.74 |
| Mason Greenwood | Marseille | 7.62 |
Andrey Santos vs Enzo Fernandez
While it’s been suggested that Santos could form a midfield three at Chelsea in the Club World Cup, we see him as a direct competitor for Fernandez in the starting XI next season.
In recent months, Fernandez is thriving in a No 8 position covering every blade of grass. He’s accompanied by Caicedo as the defensive midfield destroyer, while Cole Palmer produces his magic in the No 10 spot.
It’s interesting to compare the respective league form of Santos and Fernandez this season:
| Player | Competition | Games | Goals | Assists | Pass completion | Shot-creating actions | Tackles won | Interceptions |
| Andrey Santos | Ligue 1 | 26 | 9 | 1 | 87.7% | 43 | 62 | 23 |
| Enzo Fernandez | Premier League | 29 | 5 | 5 | 80.7% | 121 | 28 | 11 |
Chelsea’s midfield depth next season will definitely become a lot stronger with the introduction of Santos. Fans should definitely be excited about getting a first glimpse of him in the summer.
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