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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Matt Verri

Andrey Santos earns first full Brazil call-up in potential boost to Chelsea’s summer visa hopes

Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos has been called up to the senior Brazil squad for the first time in his career.

The teenager led his country at the South American Under-20 Championship last month, scoring six goals as Brazil went unbeaten and lifted the trophy. Ramon Menezes was in charge of Brazil for that tournament, and is in interim charge of the national side after Tite’s departure.

Santos, signed by the Blues in January for a fee in the region of £18million, has now been rewarded with a place in Brazil’s 23-man squad to face Morocco in Tangier at the end of the month.

It comes after the 18-year-old’s loan move back to Vasco da Gama was confirmed, with Chelsea unable to secure a work permit that would have allowed Santos to play for the Blues this season.

The application for a UK visa was rejected, as he missed the threshold for approval by just one point. However, a senior call-up will help with that visa and could be enough for Santos to secure one in the coming months.

He will return from Brazil to join up with Chelsea’s first team this summer and he will be pushing for regular involvement in the Premier League next season.

“Andrey Santos is moving back to Brazil, re-joining his previous club Vasco da Gama on loan,” a Chelsea statement said.

“The 18-year-old midfielder signed for Chelsea in January from his boyhood club, whom he helped to promotion to the top flight last year. He now has the opportunity to develop further at that level.”

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