When Chelsea will decide Andrey Santos' future revealed as fresh delay reason explained | OneFootball

Andrey Santos has made a name for himself in 2024-25 after a stellar season on loan at Ligue 1 side RC Strasbourg. Now Chelsea have a decision to make this summer.

After acquiring the Brazilian from Vasco da Gama for around £18m in January 2023, Andrey's valuation has skyrocketed following Chelsea's decision to loan him to BlueCo-owned Strasbourg in France.

Santos has made 29 appearances in all competitions for Liam Rosenior's side, scoring 10 goals and contributing five assists, which sees Strasbourg occupy sixth place and sit just one point behind Lyon in fourth spot.

He isn't the only player on loan to have benefitted from the loan move this season. Djordje Petrovic has also impressed and will be offered an opportunity at Chelsea this summer to stake his claim to remain at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea are hoping to qualify for next season's Champions League. They are battling it out with six games to go and any outcome is possible. Should Chelsea and Strasbourg both qualify for Europe's elite club competition, BlueCo would be forced to pause their involvement in the French club via a trust.

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Given BlueCo's multi-club model, Chelsea and Strasbourg would be unable to transfer players to each other or use a shared scouting database.

Once the 2024/25 season concludes, Santos will return to Chelsea before a decision is made over his future. It's heavily expected he will slot straight into head coach Enzo Maresca's squad, particularly with the Blues heading to the United States in June for this summer's Club World Cup.

Santos is likely to compete for a midfield role along with the likes of Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Romeo Lavia and new signing Dário Essugo among others.

However, Santos' future has not been completely confirmed yet. As reported by Kieran Gill of the Daily Mail, Chelsea and Strasbourg have agreed to wait until the end of the season before deciding the Brazilian's future.

It's suggested that sources have indicated nothing is finalised, with the 'final decision delayed until the unknowns become known, namely once it is confirmed which European competition each club are playing in next season'.

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Back in November, Maresca was pleased with Santos' form on loan at Strasbourg. His form has only got better and he has now left a major decision for the Blues to make over his role for next season.

"Andrey Santos shows what we have said already many times; probably for some players, it is better they go and prove themselves and then they can come back," Maresca said in November. "Now is too early but if he continues in the way he is playing, then he could be an option for us."

Santos has given himself every chance of becoming an important player for Chelsea next season. All parties will focus on finishing the season strongly to achieve their objectives, but a decision over his future will no doubt be made a priority before the Club World Cup begins.