Steve Cooper claims Chelsea starlet Andrey Santos lacks experience amidst struggles at Nottingham Forest
Steve Cooper has finally revealed why he hasn’t given Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos enough minutes on the pitch for Nottingham Forest and said his lack of experience is holding him back from starting the games.
Chelsea sent Santos on loan to Nottingham Forest in the hope he would get some playing time, which will help his development and settle in the Premier League.
However, so far, that hasn’t been the case for the Brazilian, who only featured once in the Premier League for Cooper, and the Blues have grown frustrated with Forest’s treatment of the young midfielder. This has led the Blues to now consider calling Santos back to Chelsea in January and activating the release clause in his contract.
However, Cooper has shed some light on why he is yet to start the 19-year-old amid Forest’s poor performance, who are battling the relegation zone, (h/t Metro) he said:
‘’I’m not too sure about what’s been said. Of course, everyone would have liked Andrey to play more. He is a really good young player, but there aren’t a lot of players his age who are playing regularly in the Premier League.”
”It is the sort of situation where if he were our player, he would be in the perfect situation of being in and around the first team, looking to involve him and giving him some exposure when you can, but knowing you are developing him and getting him ready.”
Nottingham are well within their rights to opt when they want to choose Santos in the playing XI. Chelsea, for their part, will need to ensure that the youngster’s development is not hindered. Whether the Blues are ready to bring him back should the situation fail to improve remains to be seen.
Simply put, why did you consent to signing the midfield player if you had no intention of giving him playing time? Although Nottingham were aware that Chelsea were sending him on loan to Forest, he is merely a reserve player for Chelsea and needs to grow and prepare for the upcoming season. Cooper’s assertion is illogical, and Chelsea should bring him back.
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Halfway through the season, he still hasn’t played a whole minute. If the Blues choose to bring Santos back, they will need to loan him to a team where he receives fair playing time, as young talented players are frequently handled unfairly.