Nottingham Forest are set to confirm the loan signing of Andrey Santos from Chelsea in the next couple of hours.
Journalist Fabrizio Romano confirmed last night that the 19-year-old was joining Steve Cooper’s side on a season-long loan deal with no option to buy.
Santos is a 19-year-old box-to-box midfielder who signed for the Blues from Vasco da Gama back in January of this year. Chelsea allowed the midfielder to stay in Brazil for the remainder of their domestic campaign before returning to Stamford Bridge for pre-season.
The talented teenager made 49 appearances, scoring nine goals for the Brazilian outfit during his time at the club. Santos featured heavily for Chelsea during their pre-season tour of the United States, impressing boss Mauricio Pochettino.
It was originally planned that the Brazilian would stay with Chelsea this campaign, but the signings of Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo have seen him fall down the pecking order.
The Blues want him to achieve regular first-team minutes this campaign, with Forest a great place for the youngster to progress his game.
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When does Andrey Santos need to be registered for Nottingham Forest?
With a medical for Santos taking place this morning, a deal is one step closer to being completed.
Should the 19-year-old be registered before midday today, he will be eligible to play for the Reds against Manchester United at Old Trafford tomorrow afternoon.
He would be battling it out with the likes of Danilo, Ryan Yates and Orel Mangala for a starting position in a midfield three, the usual for a Cooper set-up away from home.
However, regardless of whether he can play against United, Forest are getting themselves a very talented player that will certainly bolster the midfield department.
With just a week until the closure of the summer window, Forest’s squad finally looks to be taking shape.