There are very few 18-year-olds who carry themselves quite like Andrey Santos – and don't just take our word on that. Many players, both past and present, have been willing to highlight the teenage midfielder possesses the confidence and ability of a seasoned professional.
“I’ve never seen a player, at 18, as ready as he is," explained former Brazil international Juninho Pernambucano last year. "Without the ball, his participation in the game is total; I want to see his GPS because he doesn't stop. And technically, he's way above the others. He's not going to be better than me, he's going to be much better than me. He is a much more complete player."
Vasco's veteran midfielder, Nene, echoed those comments. "It doesn't even seem like he's this young," he said. "He has an incredible maturity in training, it seems like he has been with us for many years. He has a vision of the game, a lot of quality, and likes to break lines.
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"He is already in the Brazil Under-20s team and who knows, maybe soon he will be shining in the senior national team. He will be a great player.”
Recruitment networks, data analytics, and various scouting tools ensure any high-potential player is spotted early. That was the case with Santos. Manchester City and Newcastle United were both interested in prising him away from Vasco yet it was ultimately Chelsea who convinced the player and his family. He officially signed earlier this month.
The not-insignificant fee of £18million was paid by Chelsea, but it increasingly appears a shrewd piece of business. That is because of the midfielder's performances at the South American Youth Football Championship. Santos, who is captaining Brazil's Under-20s, has stood out and scored three goals in three matches.
"Everyone knows it has always been a dream to represent my country," Santos explained in an interview with ge.globo this week. "I have to enjoy every moment, every participation, and it's clear how happy I am to be here, to be at Granja to represent Brazilian football.
"I got there [Chelsea], talked to them, and they made me feel at ease, accepted my decision, and wished me good luck. I'm sure they're rooting for me, they've already sent me a message to keep it up. And I hope to continue like this to continue bearing fruit and happiness for Brazil and for Chelsea."
Santos has spent very little time with Chelsea – his signing was confirmed on January 7 and the youngster was soon back in South America to represent his country. However, he is looking forward to adapting to English football and Chelsea – and he has been warmly welcomed to the club by two key first-team figures.
"It's a dream come true to play for one of the biggest clubs in Europe, a huge club like Chelsea," he said. "I am very happy. Everyone who is close to me knows that my goal when I was 18 was to be in Europe. Thank God, I was able to achieve it.
"Thiago Silva and Jorginho are phenomenal guys, I always looked up to them, I always followed them, and I was very happy in the first contact for the way they treated me, for the simplicity, and for the welcome. I hope to help them and the team a lot when I return."
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