Andrey Santos: Racing's midfield dynamo

Racing Club de Strasbourg Alsace have undergone a sea change this season. Under their new ownership, Blueco, the team have place a mandate on bringing through young players and working in concert with English side Chelsea to promote the sporting success of both teams. Many would have thought at the beginning of the season that the links between the two clubs would have been stronger, but prior to January, only Ângelo Gabriel had turned out for the Alsace side.

The young winger had performed decently well, and even won the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Month in September, but with the team facing a relegation battle, his absence through injury meant that the young team would have to succeed on their own merit. At least, that seemed the case until the arrival of Andrey Santos. The 19-year-old had spent the first half of the season on loan in England with Nottingham Forest, but struggled to make an impact there, despite having impressed in Brazil with former club Vasco de Gama.

Thus, he arrived in Strasbourg as something of an enigma — successful in his homeland, but still young and unproven in Europe. Despite arriving on deadline day, he didn’t actually join the club until mid-February, following a spell of international duty with Brazil’s Olympic team. From there, here featured sparingly, playing just 30 minutes in his first four matches, not even coming off the bench in two of those. This all changed just before the international break, though.

Faced with a confluence of suspensions (Junior Mwanga, Ibrahima Sissoko) and injuries, Vieira gave Santos a start away to Nantes. The stakes could scarcely have been higher — a loss to Les Canaris could have seen Racing drop into the bottom three. Under the cosh, to say the least, Santos responded with an immense performance in Vieira’s 3-4-3, playing as a consummate box-to-box midfielder. Showing his strength and work ethic, as well as his ability with the ball at his feet, he added a stunning amount of dynamism to the team’s midfield, and his contributions helped his team secure a vital 3-1 win.

It’s been more of the same since the international break. A home win against European contenders Rennes was followed by a hard-fought draw in Toulouse, and Racing have now picked up seven points from the three matches Santos has started. Against Reims this afternoon, he’s likely to be on the teamsheet again, his strong play the product of his confidence and growing acclimation to a new country and language.

Andrey Santos, young player of the month 🔝🏅 pic.twitter.com/aQRJe2DGJs

— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) April 11, 2024

Speaking recently to the club’s media, he averred, “I feel very good here in Strasbourg. From the first day I arrived, the welcome from my teammates and staff was very good. I can say that my adaptation at the moment is going wonderfully. I spoke a lot with my family in recent days, I told them that I felt at home here.” That sense of feeling at home has even earned Santos the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Month, following in the footsteps of his countryman. It’s not know yet whether Santos will extend his loan spell with Racing following the end of the season, but for the time being, he remains a compelling player among a dynamic young side.