Since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital took over Chelsea, there has been plenty of investment into all areas of the squad, with significant funds being allocated to the midfield area.
The likes of Enzo Fernández, Moises Caicedo and Roméo Lavia have all been signed for around £250m combined, as the ownership looked to replace the aging midfield trio of Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic and N’Golo Kante.
But despite spending hundreds of millions on midfield signings, it could be one of their other investments that prove to be the heir to Kante’s throne, and the Blues could really do with him this season.
N’Golo Kante’s time at Chelsea
Kante left the club in the 2023 summer window, with his contract expiring, therefore allowing the Frenchman to leave on a free.
That may not have been a colossal blow at the time given his age but he was a stalwart of Stamford Bridge nonetheless. The 33-year-old made 269 appearances for Chelsea in his seven years at the club, scoring 13 goals, providing 16 assists and totaling 20,742 minutes played.
Throughout his time at the club,the great Frenchman won the Premier League once, the UEFA Champions League once, the FIFA Club World Cup once, the UEFA Super Cup once, the UEFA Europa League once and the FA Cup once.
His ability to cover ground, win duels and protect the team in transition were the special qualities that made him one of the best midfielders in world football, and the Blues could have their next Kante-like figure already in the pipeline.
Chelsea’s new Kante
Chelsea signed a certain Andrey Santos from Vasco da Gama for around £13m in the January 2023 window, before loaning him back to Brazil for the remainder of the 2022/23 season. Since then he’s only gone from strength to strength.
The Brazilian was taken on the pre-season tour in2023/24, before being loaned to Nottingham Forest, where he only made two appearances.
Due to his lack of game time at Forest, Santos was recalled from loan in January 2024, and sent to Strasbourg (Chelsea’s sister club) where he played the second half of the campaign.
Chelsea decided one more loan move in the 2024/25 season would be the best route for Santos and his development, so he is yet again spending the year in Ligue 1, where he has been been simply phenomenal.
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Santos vs Kante comparison |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stats (per 90 mins) |
Santos (24/25) |
Kante (20/21) |
|
Goals + Assists |
0.49 |
0.10 |
|
Progressive Carries |
1.02 |
1.95 |
|
Progressive Passes |
4.87 |
5.31 |
|
Passes Attempted |
48.6 |
61.7 |
|
Pass Completion % |
87.2% |
85.8% |
|
Key Passes |
0.91 |
0.97 |
|
Passes into Final Third |
3.96 |
3.99 |
|
Tackles |
3.74 |
2.80 |
|
Interceptions |
0.92 |
2.37 |
|
Ball Recoveries |
6.42 |
8.40 |
|
Stats taken from FBref |
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When comparing the underlying metrics of Santos so far this season to the UCL winning season of Kante, you can see how closely they rank in certain metrics, both loving to get stuck in to recover the ball for their team, contributing with progressive passes and even adding extra output from midfield areas.
The 20-year-old’s Strasbourg manager, Liam Rosenior, has waxed lyrical about the Brazilian midfielder, stating he is set for a “magnificent” career, who already plays years beyond his age, stating “Andrey plays like he’s 32“.
That’s certainly seen in the stats. A box to box machine, Santos has made 21 appearances for Strasbourg so far this season, scoring eight goals and providing three assists. Meanwhile, only three players in Europe’s top five leagues this term have won more tackles than the Brazilian (47).
His all round quality, leadership – which has even been shown by captaining the French outfit at just 20-years-old – and solidity could make him Chelsea’s next Kante.
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