Currently on a season-long loan to Nottingham Forest, the 19-year-old Brazilian international’s time at the City Ground hasn’t exactly gone as planned.
Santos made his league debut at the end of October in a seven-minute cameo against Liverpool, although he has been consistently left out of Nottingham Forest’s Premier League matchday squads. From early November until now, he has not been named in a matchday team.
Given that Nuno Espirito Santo, a former Wolves manager, is now in charge after Forest decided to break company with Steve Cooper, his circumstances may change. But since he hasn’t yet made a league start for the Tricky Trees, Chelsea has had enough and is probably prepared to summon him back in January. This means Barcelona can now compete for his services.
The Brazilian international was previously considered by the defending La Liga champions as a possible replacement for club legend Sergio Busquets, as they felt he would fit well in manager Xavi Hernandez’s style.
Giuliano Bertolucci, the agent of Santos, is reportedly good friends with Barca’s sporting director Deco, which may work to the Blaugrana’s advantage.
Barcelona may now reappear as a possible fit for the former Vasco da Gama star as a replacement for teenage sensation Gavi, who is expected to miss a significant portion of the season following surgery on an ACL injury he sustained while playing for Spain internationally, despite Barcelona not moving forward with the deal during the most recent transfer window.
Santos has great ball control to avoid pressure, but he also prefers moving the ball forward and keeping things simple. Despite being a box-to-box monster at his best, he can also play as a lone defensive midfielder because of his strength in the tackle and his ability to duel both on the ground and in the air.
