Earlier this week it sounded like Newcastle’s chances of signing Andrey Santos were over – but those claims now appear to be wide of the mark.
It was first reported in France that Chelsea were close to agreeing a deal with Vasco da Gama. Then the Evening Standard backed up these claims, stating that the 18-year-old was expected to move to Stamford Bridge for £12million.
It looked like a real transfer blow for Newcastle. Santos is an exceptional talent, and is someone who the Magpies have been tracking since the summer.
There have been claims of confidence that he will come to St James’ Park, while the player has spoke about his admiration for the ‘phenomenal‘ Bruno Guimaraes.
Talk of a move to Chelsea appeared to end speculation that Santos could soon call Bruno his teammate, but now Newcastle are seemingly back in the race.
New report claims Chelsea have not made a bid to sign Andrey Santos
According to Goal in Brazil, Chelsea are interested in signing Santos. However, they have not yet made a bid for the Brazilian midfielder.
And to add more fuel to the fire that a £12million deal hasn’t been agreed, Goal add that Vasco da Gama want Santos to be their biggest sale ever.
The record currently belongs to Paulinho, who left the Brazilian side for £15.9million in 2018 to join Bayer Leverkusen. Therefore, any transfer for Santos will cost more than that amount.
While a bid apparently hasn’t been made, Goal believe one is on the horizon from Chelsea. However, they also expect Newcastle to make a move in January. That aligns with what the Northern Echo reported at the weekend, with Dan Ashworth planning a bid for the South American star of the future.
Hope for Newcastle yet
It was pretty gutting when rumours emerged that Santos was going to Chelsea. It looked like Graham Potter’s side had swooped out of nowhere and stolen the future of our midfield.
However, there is still hope for Newcastle. But now they must fend off competition from a Premier League rival.
Both clubs have undergone ownership changes recently. However, one is going better than the other. Newcastle are looking like a well run machine, with sensible decisions being made on and off the pitch. The same can’t be said for Chelsea, who have been somewhat erratic since Todd Boehly bought the club.
Hopefully that is factored in when Santos has to make a decision on who he wants to join. But first things first, an offer needs to be accepted by Vasco da Gama.
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