June 25th 2024.
According to Andrey Santos, he is a huge admirer of the newly signed Chelsea player, Estevao Willian. He believes that the 17-year-old has immense potential and will soon become the face of Brazilian football. The transfer deal between Chelsea and Palmeiras has already been finalized, with Chelsea paying €34 million upfront and an additional €23 million in add-ons.
Willian will officially join Chelsea when he turns 18 next year, along with another promising South American midfielder, Kendry Paez from Ecuador. Neymar himself has predicted that Willian will become a "genius" on the field for Brazil. And Santos has revealed that he is already in touch with the young recruit, having received a message from him during his stint in Colombia.
In a recent podcast, Santos shared, "I spoke to Estevao when he went to play in Colombia. I had played there the month before and he sent me a message saying, 'man, I really admire you, how you managed to make a difference here in this climate at this altitude'. I told him, 'man, it's difficult but you're going to make it'." Santos also expressed his admiration for the young player, saying that he has "huge, huge, huge potential" and that he has always been a fan of him.
Santos himself made the move to Chelsea from Vasco da Gama last year. However, he reveals that he pushed for a loan move in order to get more playing time. As a Brazilian player, he found the intensity and dynamics of the game in Europe to be quite different. He explains, "Coming from Brazil, football is very different. The intensity is less and abroad it's absurd, the dynamics of the game are very fast." He eventually went on loan to Strasbourg, where he thrived and helped the team stay in Ligue 1.
Looking back, Santos believes that it was a good decision to go out on loan, despite the patience of the people at Chelsea. He says, "The people at Chelsea wanted me to have a little patience but it was better that it was my choice to go out and play." He also expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to showcase his skills to Europe and is now looking to impress Enzo Maresca during Chelsea's pre-season campaign.
Santos also took the opportunity to praise Chelsea's scouting efforts in South America, with the recent signings of Willian and Paez. He believes that the team's youth project is a great one, with a perfect balance of experienced and young players. He also mentions how Reece James welcomed him warmly when he first arrived at the club.
With such promising young talents joining Chelsea, Santos believes that their future is looking bright. He jokes, "Soon everyone will be speaking Spanish!" Overall, he is confident in the team's abilities and is excited to see what the future holds for Chelsea.
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