Chelsea set their ‘costs’ for Andrey Santos after enquiry from Inter Milan

Andrey Santos, Chelsea's 21-year-old Brazilian central midfielder, generated significant excitement after an impressive loan spell at Strasbourg last season. Despite manager Enzo Maresca believing he needs time to adjust, Chelsea have no plans to loan him out again, with many at the club enthusiastic about his potential. This follows his involvement in Chelsea's Club World Cup victory this summer.

Recent transfer interest emerged from Inter Milan, whose sporting director admires Santos. His agent met with the Italian club, but Chelsea set an extremely high asking price. With Inter prioritizing other targets, the Blues appear to have deterred their approach, easing fan concerns about losing the highly-rated midfielder.

Santos' value is underscored by his ranking as Europe's third-highest rated under-23 player (minimum 30 appearances) in top leagues last season (7.33 rating), behind only Lamine Yamal and Florian Wirtz. Bayern Munich also expressed interest in June, signaling his growing reputation.

Chelsea are building a strong Brazilian contingent, with Santos and new signing Estevao Willian—both senior Brazil internationals—set to enhance squad depth. While neither may start immediately, Santos will compete in midfield with Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, and Romeo Lavia, while 18-year-old winger Estevao targets the right-wing position for the 2025/26 campaign.