Chelsea sent simple Andrey Santos transfer message but Enzo Maresca reality is perfectly clear

Emmanuel Petit believes Andrey Santos could be the answer for Chelsea next season. The 20-year-old Brazilian has been a revelation for Strasbourg on loan this term and Blues supporters are desperate to see the midfielder play for the first team in the 2025/26 campaign.

has flourished in France for the BlueCo-owned Strasbourg, scoring 10 goals and providing five assists in all competitions this season. There has been speculation Santos could stay at Stade de la Meinau for next season, although that could prove to be a bit complicated.

If and Strasbourg were to both qualify for next season's Champions League, the two clubs would not be able to transfer players to one another for an extended period because they are under the same ownership. The same stipulations applied to Manchester City and Girona this season after they qualified for the Champions League - with the two clubs both owned by City Football Group.

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Either way, football.london understands Santos will be given the opportunity to prove himself in a Blues shirt during the FIFA Club World Cup. The revamped club tournament - that begins in mid-June - takes place in the United States this summer and Chelsea are planning to use Santos in the first team.

If all goes well, we could well see Santos at Stamford Bridge next term - something , who represented the Blues from 2001 until 2004, believes could be instrumental in any success has in his second season at the club. Speaking to PokerFirma, the Frenchman said: "Andrey Santos can score goals, he can create goals, he can defend, he can link the defence to the forward and he can control games.

"Technically he's a very good player and he has improved a lot since last season. I think he has shown so much maturity and personality this season and that is why Strasbourg are fighting for a European place.

"He's very young, he's only 20 years old. So should he stay one more season at Strasbourg? Maybe. But I think if he leaves Strasbourg, he should go back to Chelsea.

"Honestly, he could be very important for Chelsea, especially in midfield. He can fix a weakness. I think Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez have been working very hard together but I think they're missing one more player in midfield and Santos could be the answer."

, but the Chelsea head coach remained coy on whether or not he would be playing his football in west London next season. "Now, we know that Andrey is doing well," . "But in this moment, we are just focused about how we finish this season. And then when we finish this season, we're going to start to think about next season."

Last month, Santos himself was asked about his future but the Brazil international, like many of us, seemed unsure about what is next in his development. He said: "Of course, you want to play for the biggest clubs in Europe, for a very big club like Chelsea.

"You dream of that moment but I think, at this moment, you have to have a clear head, finish the season here [with Strasbourg] and make the best choice when the season is over. I don't think that a specific decision has been made. No-one has come to talk to me directly; everything is in the hands of the club and my agents."

Chelsea's co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart have been regular visitors to Stade de la Meinau this season to track the progress and development of Santos, as well as his fellow Strasbourg teammates. That includes fellow loanee , who is set to return to Cobham over the summer, with a .