Chelsea midfielder Andry Santos linked a surprise switch to London’s rivals Arsenal in the weeks ending in the transfer window, explaining why he didn’t leave Stamford Bridge
Andrei Santos’ World Cup dream was the driving force behind his decision to sniff out a favourable summer switch to Saudi Arabia. The Chelsea star was linked to a move away from Stamford Bridge on the closing day of his transfer period.
The Middle Eastern club was clearly considering him, but Chelsea’s London rival Arsenal was also reportedly pondering the slow dive. However, Brazilian midfielder Santos refuses the exit and prefers to stay with Chelsea to buy plenty of time to win spots with the Brazilian team for next summer’s World Cup.
“The offer arrived, but I immediately declined for my dreams and my main goal: the World Cup,” he told Trivella. “I know that being in Chelsea and in the Premier League gives me a better chance than Saudi Arabia. That was the main factor in my response to them.”
Santos, 21, joined Chelsea in 2023 from Vasco da Gama on the Brazilian side. He then endured a very frustrating period on loan with Nottingham Forest, playing only two games before moving to Bruco’s other club Strasbourg.
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He lighted up the French side during the 2024/25 campaign, scoring 11 goals in 34 appearances. And while Santos has now broken into Chelsea’s first team and played a full role in the Club World Cup, he has already appeared three times this semester.
“I really enjoy playing a defensive midfielder. I grew up as a defensive midfielder, so I think that’s my main position,” he added when asked about his role at Chelsea. “But when I moved to Vasco, it was as a defensive midfielder. At Chelsea, I’ll go a little bit more forward, but I’m comfortable playing in both positions.”
Meanwhile, Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca gave Santos an idea on the closing day of the window and admitted that he was keen to stay as a midfielder. He said:
“He certainly can play in positions with Enzo Fernandez and Moises Kayseko. He played one game with Palmeiras in the Club World Cup and was very good as No. 6.
Santos was invited by Carlo Ancelotti to his latest Brazilian team. He was featured as an alternative in a 3-0 victory over Chile in the World Cup qualifiers, hoping to earn a few minutes against Bolivia next week.
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