Newcastle United enquire about signing £18 million-rated Chelsea star despite disappointing season: Reports

Newcastle United are allegedly keen to rope in Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos, who is currently out on loan at Nottingham Forest, in the ongoing January transfer window.

Santos, 19, is currently enduring a tough time at Nottingham Forest. He has made just two appearances across competitions for them this campaign, featuring in one Premier League match as a substitute so far.

With the Brazilian teenager failing to make Forest's past nine matchday squads, he could be recalled by Mauricio Pochettino's side this month. Opining on the player's future, reputed journalist Ben Jacobs wrote in his Si Phillips Talks Chelsea column (h/t The Chelsea Chronicle):

"I am told Newcastle enquired about Santos."

Should Santos join Newcastle this winter, he could pop up as a shrewd signing. He could feature often in the second half of the 2023-24 campaign as Sandro Tonali is currently serving a serious betting-related ban.

However, the Blues could decide to retain the midfielder. They could use the player in £58 million summer arrival Romeo Lavia's injury-induced absence and hand him Premier League minutes in a rotational role.

Prior to joining the west London club in a deal worth up to £18 million last January, Santos played in 49 overall matches for Vasco da Gama.

Mauricio Pochettino opines on Chelsea's 3-2 Premier League victory over Luton Town

Earlier this Saturday, the Stamford Bridge club beat Luton Town 3-2 in their league encounter at the Kenilworth Road. Cole Palmer scored twice on either side of Noni Madueke's goal, while Ross Barkley and Elijah Adebayo each bagged a goal in the last 10 minutes of the clash.

Speaking at a post-game press conference, Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino showered praise on Luton for their resilient performance despite trailing 3-0 at one point. He said (h/t Sports Mole):

"It is the Premier League. It is the toughest league in the world. Luton are very good. They are building something very good and we need to give credit to Luton. We can see how they perform and never give up. I think we played really well until we conceded."

Calling for more resolve in his side, the Argentine tactician concluded:

"In the first half we controlled very well, second half we started to concede crosses and corners. For us at 3-0, the game looks over but in the Premier League it is never over. We need to show more capacity to manage this type of situation. When you have something in your hands you don't want to lose it and you go deeper."

Chelsea, who are 10th in the 2023-24 Premier League table with 28 points from 20 outings, faced a tough time at Luton. They recorded 49% possession and 12 shots compared to their opponents' 15 shots.