Club have asked to sign £18m Chelsea player twice now, but Pochettino wants to watch him play first

Add as preferred source on Google

Porto have asked Chelsea if they can sign Andrey Santos twice since January – however, Mauricio Pochettino wants to take a look at him first.

That is according to Fabrizio Romano.

So, what is the situation regarding Andrey Santos at Chelsea? Let’s take a look…

What’s the story?

Well, those at Stamford Bridge have very high hopes for the Brazilian wonderkid.

The Daily Mail have even claimed that Chelsea think Santos could become the best signing of the entire Todd Boehly era – he has that much potential.

Chelsea signed the 19-year-old from Vasco da Gama for a sum of £18m back in January, and he was spotted in first-team training at Cobham on Tuesday after finally being granted a work permit.

Romano believes Porto are obsessed with Santos and wanted to sign him in January, with the Portuguese giants insistent on taking the teenager on loan for the 2023/24 campaign.

However, the reliable Italian journalist claims Pochettino wants to take a look at the midfielder in pre-season matches before making a decision on his future.

Andrey Santos has an opening at Chelsea

Usually, young talents at Chelsea find themselves competing against superstars for first-team places, and end up being loaned out.

However – in this instance – Santos has an opportunity to become a key player under Pochettino.

Chelsea have already allowed many midfielders to leave this summer, such as Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mateo Kovacic and N’Golo Kante, so there is a chance for the South American wonderkid to step up and fill the void.

Chelsea face some tough opposition in pre-season such as Brighton, Newcastle and Borussia Dortmund.

Therefore, if Santos can make an impact in these games, we wouldn’t be surprised to see Pochettino tell Porto to look elsewhere.

Be sure to keep an eye on the Brazil Under-20 international this summer, as he attempts to impress the Argentine and become a big player for Chelsea.