Barcelona have set their sights on signing Chelsea youngster Andrey Santos as a long-term replacement for Sergio Busquets.
That is according to a report from The Daily Mail.
They claim that Spanish giants Barcelona have identified Andrey Santos, 19, as a possible transfer target.
It is explained that Barcelona manager Xavi and sporting director Deco are both keen on bringing the Blues teenager to the Camp Nou.
The report adds that representatives from Chelsea and Barca have discussed the potential transfer, but Chelsea’s new head coach Mauricio Pochettino first wants to take a closer look at the player in pre-season.
Santos, who joined Chelsea for £18million (Daily Mail) back in January, is a future star in the making.
He’s already made his senior debut for the Brazil national team, which is quite the feat when you consider their talent pool.
The youngster is yet to kick a ball in Chelsea colours during a competitive match, so losing him to Barcelona this summer would seem odd.
Journalist Graeme Bailey has told the ‘Talking Transfers’ podcast this week that Chelsea staff think they’ve got “something special” with Santos.
He’s now mixing it with the first-team squad during pre-season under the watchful eye of Pochettino, so we do find speculation of his potential exit quite hard to believe.
Hopefully, the South American star can shine during this summer, with an imminent trip to the United States for friendly games.
In our view, there’s definitely a spot free in the senior squad for someone like him next season. Alternatively, 20-year-old Cesare Casadei is a Blues talent to keep an eye out for.
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