IT’S OFFICIAL: Chelsea finally signs Andrey Santos from Vasco de Gama

Chelsea have completed the signing of Andrey Santos from Vasco de Gama, the club have announced today.

The 18 year old midfielder has been a regular starter in the Brazilian second division for the club, and looks to be one of the top talents in South America.

The fee is believed to be around £20m, with an initial £13m followed by a further £7m in performance based bonuses, according to Nizaar Kinsella’s reporting from a few weeks ago.

There had been some delay in the deal while his work permit situation was assessed. It seems likely he will go on loan, possibly back to Brazil where he can continue playing week in, week out.

A box to box midfielder, the teenager is a real coup for Chelsea, and while we might not see the best of him for a while, looks a real first team prospect in the long run.

Welcome to Chelsea, Andrey!