Andrey Santos and Enzo Maresca’s forgotten man: Three Chelsea fringe players who may thrive under Liam Rosenior
Liam Rosenior is expected to become the new Chelsea manager in the coming days after he flew into London on Sunday evening.
The Strasbourg manager has been identified by BlueCo as the ideal candidate to make the switch to Stamford Bridge and take the reins from Enzo Maresca after his departure was confirmed last week.
Rosenior is set for a formal interview at Chelsea on Monday, but all the evidence points towards him being officially appointed by the end of the week.
The 41-year-old’s arrival will provide a new-look feel to the Blues in the coming weeks, and as ever with a new manager, it is likely to set everybody in the squad back to square one in terms of their standing with the boss.
With that in mind, Football Insider identifies three Chelsea players who could be set to thrive under Rosenior’s guidance.
Andrey Santos
Andrey Santos has already hailed Rosenior’s managerial ability, after he spent time under his wing at Strasbourg last season.
The Brazilian enjoyed a productive loan spell in Ligue 1 in 2024-25, and branded Rosenior as “amazing,” while also suggesting that they share a “perfect” relationship.
Santos is an emerging star at Chelsea at the moment, but he will be hoping to significantly boost his current tally of four league starts in 2025-26 when the new boss steps through the door.
The 21-year-old has a big future ahead of him at Stamford Bridge, and there is nobody better to help him unlock that potential than Rosenior.
He placed great faith in the midfielder during their time together in France, and it would be no surprise to see his minutes rise in the coming weeks.
Jorrel Hato
Jorrel Hato arrived at Chelsea with big expectations attached after his £37million move from Ajax in the summer, but things haven’t panned out well for him so far.
The Dutchman has managed just five appearances in the Premier League in 2025-26, and hadn’t played a single minute of league action since 4 October, prior to his substitute involvement in the draw with Manchester City on Sunday.
The left-back is already a senior Netherlands international, and the last thing that he will want is to see his career continue to stall following his big move to England.
Hato remains firmly behind Marc Cucurella in the pecking order at the moment, but with the Spanish star struggling with an injury right now, Rosenior may be keen to throw the youngster in at the deep end.
Facundo Buonanotte
Facundo Buonanotte has had a nightmare loan at Chelsea so far, and Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has already hinted at the possibility of a potential recall in January.
The Argentine quickly became Maresca’s forgotten man after joining in the summer, and he has played just 45 minutes of league football all season.
That appearance came in the 2-2 draw with Brentford back in September, and since then, the attacking midfielder has had to contend with just the occasional opportunity in the cups.
Buonanotte has been pushed firmly to the fringes of Chelsea’s squad, but Rosenior is highly unlikely to want to see anyone depart without getting a sustained look at the quality that they provide.
With Brighton unhappy with the gametime he is receiving, it would be no surprise to see Rosenior try and involve him immediately in order to ward off any immediate threat of losing him.