There is no doubt at all that Andrey Santos is a top footballer and has a big future, but I’m wondering whether that will even be at Chelsea at all.
Some quotes from Santos this week had me thinking and wondering. He’s picked up on the blockages in front of him at Chelsea, and those blockages are not about to be unblocked any time soon.
Santos revealed it was HIS decision to go on loan last summer, and it was Chelsea who wanted to keep him.
“Chelsea wanted me to stay last season, it was my decision to go and play,” Santos told Fora do Jogo on YouTube.
“I did very well in the pre-season but I saw that there was Enzo [Fernandez] and [Moises] Caicedo, and I wanted to play and have minutes. So I decided together with my family to go out on loan.”
Can you imagine if he stayed by the way? What a waste of a season that would have been for him.
So why would this season be any different?
Enzo and Caicedo aren’t going anywhere any time soon, are they? And they aren’t going to be rested too often either, with both players costing the club £100m+ and any manager will basically HAVE to play them both way more often than not.
Enzo is 23, and Caicedo is 22 – both are on long contracts.
Then you have Romeo Lavia and Conor Gallagher. Lavia is just 20 and is also on a long deal at Chelsea. He spent much of last season out injured, but SPTC sources have heard from his camp that he will be ready for pre-season and is in top condition ahead of the new season and he is hopeful to be able to stay fully fit to be that important player that Enzo Maresca sees him as part of his new setup he is building tactically.
So where does Santos fit in? Does he just play cup games? Will that be enough? Can you honestly see Enzo, Caicedo, or Lavia being rested in Europe other than in the earlier and easier games? Even though it’s The Conference League, Chelsea want to win it, and the manager will need to do all he can to win it. Players will want to play in it.
Chelsea also…
Source link : https://www.talkchelsea.net/opinions/opinion-chelseas-youth-recruitment-will-cause-wider-issues-with-lack-of-balance/
Author : Simon Phillips
Publish date : 2024-06-25 11:35:48
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