It is fair to say that Chelsea have encountered rocky waters in recent weeks as Enzo Maresca’s side have suffered three defeats in their last four matches in all competitions.
The Blues have lost twice to Brighton & Hove Albion, once in the Premier League and once in the FA Cup, and were beaten 3-1 by Manchester City in the top-flight.
A 2-1 win over West Ham United at Stamford Bridge on deadline day at the start of February is their only positive result since their win over Wolves on the 20th of January.
The London giants have already been knocked out of the FA Cup and the League Cup, whilst they are falling short in their push for a top four finish as they sit sixth in the Premier League.
Maresca could be tempted to push the board to bring in more new recruits in the summer transfer window to bolster his squad, in order to compete across all competitions in the 2025/26 campaign.
However, Chelsea have a plethora of young talents out on loan who could return to Stamford Bridge to add to the manager’s options next season, including Ecuador international Kendry Paez.
Why Kendry Paez could be an option for Chelsea next season
Fabrizio Romano reported on Monday that the 17-year-old attacking midfielder has arrived at Cobham to begin his transition to life at Chelsea and in England, ahead of his move to the club in the summer.
The young dynamo is not able to officially complete his move, for a reported fee of £16.6m, until his 18th birthday in May, but he has begun to prepare himself for when he is a fully-fledged member of the squad.
Paez is a versatile forward, who can play on either flank or as an attacking midfielder, and could have the ambition to fight for a first-team spot at Chelsea for the 2025/26 campaign.
He currently plays for Independiente in Ecuador and has racked up 13 goals and six assists in 70 matches at first-team level for the club to date, which shows that he does have the potential to offer a decent threat in front of goal.
However, Paez has not played domestic football outside of Ecuador and this means that he has yet to prove himself in Europe, so it remains to be seen whether or not he will be able to make the step up to the Premier League next season.
Maresca, though, has another star out on loan who could return to Stamford Bridge in the summer and be unearthed as an even bigger talent than Paez, in the form of Andrey Santos.
Andrey Santos' form for Strasbourg
At the start of 2023, Chelsea swooped to sign the central midfielder from Brazilian side Vasco da Gama for a reported fee of £18m, re-joining the club on loan until the end of the 2022/23 campaign.
Santos then went out on loan to Nottingham Forest in the first half of last season, making just one appearance in the Premier League, before signing for Strasbourg on loan in France in January of last year.
The Brazil international has spent the past 13 months or so on loan with the Ligue 1 side and has caught the eye with his performances in the middle of the park in a major European league.
Appearances
21
Goals
7
Big chances created
7
Tackles + interceptions per game
4.5
Duel success rate
66%
As you can see in the table above, Santos has showcased his ability to push forward from midfield to make things happen at the top end of the pitch for the French outfit.
The Brazilian starlet also has the mobility and physicality to consistently win the ball back for his team with tackles and interceptions, whilst rarely losing physical battles with opposition players.
Santos has, therefore, proven himself in a major European league on a consistent basis, having been there for over a year, and that is why he could be an even bigger talent than Paez, who is yet to play a match in Europe, for Chelsea next season.
What Andrey Santos could bring to Chelsea next season
As aforementioned, the Brazil international is a central midfielder and this means that he will be competing for a spot in the middle of the park under Maresca next term.
The young talent will need to see off competition from the likes of Romeo Lavia, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Moises Caicedo, and Enzo Fernandez to secure a spot in the starting XI for the 2025/26 campaign.
His performances in Ligue 1 for Strasbourg over the past 365 days suggests that the potential is there for him to be the head coach’s most well-rounded midfield player next term.
Andrey Santos vs Moises Caicedo
Andrey Santos vs Enzo Fernandez
As you can see in the charts above, Santos provides a mix of what Caicedo and Fernandez offer in midfield, as he combines being a threat as a scorer and a creator of goals with dominant defensive work for his side.
The 20-year-old starlet, who was once described as a “one-man war machine” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, could come in to offer the best of both worlds and provide Maresca with a well-rounded midfield option.
At the age of 20, he is also three years younger than Caicedo and four years younger than Fernandez, which means that he still has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and improve with more experience at the top level.
Santos, given his form in Ligue 1, could come in as an immediate starting-quality option for Maresca, with the skillset to play alongside either Caicedo or Fernandez, whilst Paez is yet to prove himself in Europe and it remains to be seen whether or not he will need a loan or two before emerging as a first-team option for Chelsea.
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For now, Blues supporters should keep an eye on how Santos performs for Strasbourg in the second half of this season, as he could be like a new signing for Chelsea next term.