It may not look like it if you look at the table right now, but Chelsea’s sister club Strasbourg are fighting for their lives in Ligue 1.
Two wins – including one today – have made things look a lot more comfortable. But just a couple of weeks ago manager Liam Rosenior was on the verge of being sacked, and everyone at the club was looking down and not up.
One person who deserves a lot of credit for these good results is Andrey Santos, the on loan Chelsea midfielder. Despite his youth, he’s a leader for the team and a key player whenever they do well.
He’s tenacious and committed, he’s got quality on the ball and a notable eye for goal. Physically he’s great – and for a young player he’s already picked up plenty of experience. He’s not polished yet – but looks to have all the potential needed to be a top player. The stats are crazy.
You can see his highlights from the game in the clip embedded here:
Andrey Santos vs Auxerre
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pic.twitter.com/2yLMqQVB9U— Nathan (@CFC_Nathan_) January 5, 2025
Pain for Chelsea fans as their best midfield option dominates for another team
Of course the irony for Chelsea right now is that they’re desperate for a player like Santos in their squad. The midfield situation is basically this: Moises Caicedo is excellent and can do everything. Enzo Fernandez has played a lot better when not used as a traditional midfield partner for him. Romeo Lavia does everything we want in that role, but is never fit. Cesare Casadei, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Carney Chukwuemeka are all either the wrong profile, not trusted by the manager, or both.
Santos looks like a dream option for the team to play instead or alongside Caicedo – what a shame he’s doing the business for our sister club and not for us.
