Chelsea news: Mauricio Pochettino can scrap transfer approach after Fulham victory | Football | Sport
Chelsea should be looking to reject any loan approach that arrives from Salernitana for Andrey Santos following another fine pre-season showing against Fulham. The Blues ran out 2-0 winners over their west London rivals to win the inaugural Premier League Summer Series and Santos was right at the heart of a solid team display from Mauricio Pochettino’s new-look side.
Having already caught the eye against Wrexham, the Brazilian is now beginning to look at home in Chelsea’s midfield – something that was not expected of the player this soon in his Stamford Bridge career.
Santos is composed on the ball and doesn’t look to force things. At the same time, he is also capable of turning defence into attack and his forward-thinking footballing brain could now prove to be a major asset for Chelsea.
Initially, he had looked destined to depart on loan but now the tables have turned. It’s no longer a formality that he will be heading away from Chelsea this summer as at the moment, there are not many besides Enzo Fernandez that bring more to the table in midfield.
Strasbourg are his most likely destination but in Italy there has been indications that Salernitana could be about to make their interest known.
Yet there is no reason why Chelsea should be looking to rush into a decision and on the basis of his pre-season performances, Santos must stay at the club this summer.
He is more than up to the task of competing for a place in Pochettino’s side moving forward and if he’s getting minutes in the Premier League, there is no better place for his development.
Pochettino made it clear he’d been impressed by the former Vasco da Gama starlet during his opening four weeks at the helm.
“We will see what happens in the next few weeks and when we come back to England we will decide the future of these young players who maybe have a future here, some can maybe be part of the squad,” he explained after Santos impressed during the 5-0 win over Wrexham in North Carolina.
Santos is a different player but if Brighton continue to play hardball over Moises Caicedo, Chelsea need to find solutions.
As it stands they have no intention of paying the £100m that will be required to sign the Ecuador international and Chelsea are still short of numbers in the middle of the park.
They have lost Mason Mount, N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic and are yet to bring in any senior midfielders besides youngsters Santos and Cesare Casadei.
If Pochettino is going to embrace the club’s youthful transfer policy, he should be looking to fast-track Santos straight into the team.
He has undoubtedly been among Chelsea’s best players in pre-season and should that continue, he might even be pushing for a start against Liverpool.
Chelsea are facing a free hit this season as nobody is really expecting anything of them following last season’s catastrophe.
What’s important for Pochettino is assembling something for the future that stands the club in great stead to compete for trophies in the long-term.
Players like Santos are going to be integral for the club’s future and they could have a midfield solution for 10 years if they get the integration process right.