Chelsea agree Andrey Santos loan deal with Palmeiras

Chelsea have agreed a deal to send young midfielder Andrey Santos on loan to Brazilian side Palmeiras, 90min understands.

Santos joined from Vasco da Gama in January for an initial £18m but, due to his previous club’s standing in the second tier of Brazilian football, did not immediately qualify for a work permit to play in England.

After playing a starring role at the South American Under-20 Championships, Chelsea had hoped that Santos would be granted a permit by the FA’s Exceptions Panel but the Blues’ appeal was knocked back.

With Santos not qualifying for a work permit at this point, Chelsea have agreed a loan deal to send the teenager back to his homeland with Brazilian giants Palmeiras, who have fought off interest from a number of teams to secure Santos’ signature.

Santos will join Palmeiras on a 12-month loan deal but Chelsea have negotiated the option to terminate the move in the summer and bring the 18-year-old back to Stamford Bridge early.

With Palmeiras playing top-flight football and also featuring in the Copa Libertadores after winning the domestic title last season, the expectation is that Santos will qualify for a permit in England by the time this agreement comes to an end.

There was no shortage of interest in the services of Santos, who finished joint-top scorer of the international competition to cement his place as one of the brightest prospects not only in South America, but anywhere in the world.

At Palmeiras, Santos will play alongside a handful of former Chelsea targets. The versatile Gabriel Menino is a regular feature in midfield, while little needs to be said about the exploits of 16-year-old striker Endrick.

Chelsea spoke regularly with Palmeiras over the past 12 months in an attempt to win the race for Endrick’s signature, and although the teenage striker opted to take his talents to Real Madrid, the relationship between the two clubs evidently remains strong.