With Chelsea confirming the signing of Andrey Santos, we have taken a closer look at the new arrival and provided all you need to know about him.

Having already acquired the services of David Datro Fofana and Benoit Badiashile, Santos became the third new player to walk through the Stamford Bridge doors this January.

The Blues are being tipped to add further reinforcements to their squad, with Shakhtar Donetsk's Mykhailo Mudryk and Benfica's Enzo Fernandez said to be on the club's radar.

While there may be more arrivals before the transfer window closes, we have decided to have a closer look at the acquisition of Brazilian midfielder Santos.

Who is Andrey Santos?

Andrey Nascimento dos Santos, to give him his full name, is an 18-year-old Brazilian midfielder that has represented his country at Under-15 and Under-20 level.

Born in Rio de Janeiro, he was introduced to futsal at the age of four and it is here that he quickly found his love for the game, starting out as a defender before being moved higher up the pitch into midfield during his time in Vasco da Gama's youth academy.

In 2021, at the age of 16, Santos became the youngster player to represent Vasco in the 21st century when coming on as an 85th-minute substitute in a 1-0 Campeonato Carioca loss away to Volta Redonda.

Another record tumbled when he became the youngest goal scorer in the club's history on 7th June 2022, netting in a 3–2 Serie B victory away to Nautico.

Santos featured 38 times for the senior side across all competitions, scoring a total of eight goals, and he will now be hoping to transfer his impressive form to the Premier League.

How much did Andrey Santos cost Chelsea?

Chelsea are reported to have paid out around £18million to sign the Brazilian, a relatively small transfer fee when you look back at some of the acquisitions they have made in the past.

The Blues have managed to fend off competition from the likes of Manchester City and Newcastle to sign the midfielder, who may have to be patient for his first-team chances in the remainder of the 2022/23 campaign.

How did Andrey Santos do at Vasco da Gama?

You would have to say Santos impressed at Vasco, as he is still only 18 years of age but he made 38 senior appearances during his time with the Brazilian club, of which 33 were starts.

The future seems bright for the midfielder and if Potter is able to nurture his talents over the next couple of years, he could turn out to be a snip at just £18m.

Santos has been likened to Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz, a strong box-to-box midfielder that can pop up with a goal.

Related Football News

Benoit Badiashile: A closer look at potential Chelsea signing

Joao Felix: All You Need To Know

Will Andrey Santos be an automatic first-teamer at Chelsea?

It is unlikely he will be involved with the first team for the remainder of the 2022/23 campaign, while a regular first-team spot in the 2023/34 season may also be a little early for him.

A loan exit could be on the cards, potentially to a side in Europe or even a Championship club - a move that would certainly give him experience of playing in England and learning the ways of the game on these shores.

Santos certainly looks like he has been bought with the future in mind and it may be a case that Chelsea supporters will have to wait a little while before seeing him pull on the famous blue colours.

However, a lot of this will depend on the speed of his development and also whether the Blues are able to bring in the transfer targets they are being linked with.

Potter is claimed to be chasing Brighton's Moises Caicedo, who he managed when in charge of the Seagulls, while there is still the ongoing pursuit of Benfica's Fernandez.

Whether Chelsea keep hold of certain individuals, such as N'Golo Kante, could also play a big part in how quickly Santos is integrated into the first-team fold.

There is a lot of hype around the Brazilian's signing and it will be intriguing to see how he gets on in England, having never experienced playing outside of his home country.

One thing for sure is that Santos will be working under a manager who is known for giving youth a chance and nurturing players.