Chelsea respond to Andrey Santos transfer bid as Enzo Maresca plan clear

Chelsea have reportedly rejected a formal bid from Premier League rivals West Ham United for midfielder Andrey Santos, according to reports in Brazil.

The 21-year-old spent last season out on loan with French side Strasbourg. He played 32 times in Ligue 1, scoring 10 goals and providing four assists. The midfielder returned to Chelsea this summer and was part of the squad for the successful Club World Cup - making four appearances in that competition - including in the final against Paris Saint-Germain.

His performances have caught the eye and it's claimed by Brazilian journalists - Uriel Lugt and Vene Casgrande - that Chelsea have turned down an offer from the Hammers for the midfielder.

It's claimed that West Ham offered £45million. That was, though, rejected by the Blues who have contacted the club and advised them that Santos is not for sale.

The Brazilian is expected to be in Enzo Maresca's first-team plans for the current season. Speaking earlier on this summer, the Chelsea boss explained his plan with Santos.

"Andrey is working with us, he's working well," Maresca said. "He worked already with us last summer in the pre-season, so we know Andrey a little bit.

"His season has been very good, but you need time to adapt. The important thing is he's working well.

"And then in terms of a position, I see Andrey in this moment more like Enzo [Fernandez]'s position than Moises [Caicedo] or Romeo [Lavia]'s position.

"And the reason why is because we are here in this moment - for this tournament - but we also need to plan for next season, which is the Premier League.

"And you know that in the Premier League, first of all, you need to be physically strong, because Premier League demands to be physically strong. So in this moment, I see Andrey as a more attacking midfielder than a defensive midfielder."

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