The likelihood is that Chelsea are going to need some sort of replacement for Andrey Santos despite the fact that he was not an automatic starter for them last season.
Santos is set to join Manchester United in a £50m deal, and while it is good money, it is also a bit of a blow for Xabi Alonso.
Because of injuries to Romeo Lavia and Dario Essugo, Santos did get a lot of minutes in the previous campaign. It is why Chelsea are going to need someone to succeed him.
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Valentin Barco could replace Andrey Santos
The good news for Alonso is that Chelsea may have already found Santos’ replacement: Valentin Barco.
There has been no official announcement yet, but it is believed that Chelsea have agreed a deal with their sister club Strasbourg to sign Barco.
Barco is quite a versatile footballer. The 21-year-old can play as a left-back and midfielder, spending the majority of his time on the pitch in the middle last season.
It means Chelsea may already have a ready-made replacement for the outgoing Santos, while there is still enough time in the window for them to go out and sign someone else.
Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni thinks very highly of Barco, praising him before the start of the World Cup.
Comparing Valentin Barco’s and Andrey Santos’ final seasons at Strasbourg
Like Barco, Santos has also spent time at Strasbourg and really impressed in his second and final season there.
In Ligue 1, the Brazilian scored 10 goals and provided three assists in 32 appearances. According to WhoScored, Santos also made 3.4 tackles and one interception per game, so he looked like the complete midfielder during his loan spell in France.
As for Barco, he only scored two goals and provided four assists in 27 outings. Defensively, the Argentina international made 2.6 tackles and 0.5 interceptions per game.
Ultimately, in France, Santos was the more effective midfielder. And as of now, Barco would not be an upgrade on him.
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