Andrey Nascimento dos Santos

Andrey Santos is a Brazilian midfielder born in Rio de Janeiro on 3 May 2004. He joined Vasco da Gama’s academy at six after beginning in futsal and initially playing as a defender, before coaches moved him into midfield. Santos made his professional debut for Vasco in March 2021 and became a regular during the 2022 campaign, scoring eight goals in 33 appearances as the club won promotion to Série A. He captained Brazil at the 2023 South American Under-20 Championship, sharing the tournament’s scoring lead with six goals as Brazil won the title. Chelsea signed Santos in January 2023, and he returned to Vasco on loan before spending part of 2023 at Nottingham Forest. A subsequent loan at Strasbourg gave him a larger midfield role and included captaincy. His career has therefore combined academy development, international leadership and experience in Brazil, England and France.