Joao Pedro, Caicedo react to Andrey Santos’ debut message amid Chelsea exit links
Joao Pedro and Moises Caicedo have reacted to a new message from Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos amid rumours around his potential Blues exit this summer.
Santos spent last season out on loan at Strasbourg, but he has returned to the Chelsea fold to take part in their Club World Cup campaign.
Enzo Maresca chose not to play the Brazilian international in either of the Blues’ first two group games in the USA, as they beat LAFC in the opener but then lost to Flamengo in their second outing.
The 21-year-old’s absence could point to a potential move away from the club in the coming months, but Maresca did choose to give him a long-awaited debut in their final group tie on Wednesday (25 June).
Pedro and Caicedo react as Santos posts ‘thank you’ message after competitive Chelsea debut
The Brazilian international came on as a 67th minute substitute against ES Tunis in the early hours of Wednesday morning, and he grabbed an assist for Tyrique George’s late strike as the Blues ran out 3-0 winners to progress to the knockout stages.
Bayern Munich and AC Milan have registered an interest in Santos’ services after he impressed in Ligue 1 last term with 10 goals and three assists in 32 league appearances, but his competitive Blues debut could be a sign of good things to come for him under Maresca.
Santos took to Instagram in the aftermath of the victory with an emotional message following his impressive maiden outing for the club, saying: “Another step!!! We keep dreaming. happy for the victory and assist! Thank you for your support!”
Numerous Chelsea teammates reacted to his post, with Caicedo commenting: “Crack” with two fire emojis, which translates to “star” in English, while Marc Cucurella, Christopher Nkunku, Nicolas Jackson and Pedro Neto were among those who liked his message.
Chelsea have been targeting Brighton striker Joao Pedro, and he also responded to Santos’ post with a like, with the two having been teammates for Brazil in youth teams and at senior level.
Maresca should continue giving Santos chances to prove his talent
Football Insider verdict
Santos is set to be a part of Chelsea’s squad next season, and is not considered to be for sale despite that interest from Bayern Munich and Milan.
Maresca will, however, soon need to prove to him that he is set to be given chances in his squad in the 2025/26 campaign, and that should start with more minutes on the pitch as they take on Benfica in the next round of the CWC on Saturday (28 June).
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 34 | 11 | 4 |
The 21-year-old was one of the standout midfielders in Ligue 1 last term, and his standout performances even saw him pick up the division’s Young Player of the Month award for March.
The Guardian have recently reported that Chelsea hope that Santos is “ready to be patient” to get his chance, and it understandable as to why he has not yet played for the club much, with Real Madrid target Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo each seriously impressing in midfield in recent times.
Maresca must keep giving him ample chances following an impressive competitive debut, or the Blues could face losing a real talent this summer which may come back to haunt them in the years to come.