Chelsea offers €15m for Angelo from Santos

Angelo is the one to watch. Chelsea will have a tough road ahead next season. After a series of failures in the 2022/23 season, the new owner, Todd Boehly, is looking for young reinforcements for the English team.

Chelsea spends a lot and produces little

The 2022/23 season can be considered a failure for Chelsea. The club was the global leader when it comes to spending on player transfers.

The team spent no less than €611.49m, an absolutely exorbitant amount, even considering the purchasing power of European clubs and the increasingly larger external investments.

Chelsea, whose traditional majority shareholder, Roman Abramovich, was ousted from his position due to the terrible Ukraine War, made room for new shareholders in the English club.

Todd Boehly, from the American group Clearlake Capital, joined the club in May 2022.

Since his arrival, he has made a series of incorrect decisions, both in the administrative and sports fields. Desperate for results, he went to the market and inflated the prices of several players.

To give you an idea, Enzo Fernandez was purchased for the absurd amount of €121m. Of course, Enzo is a great player, but we’re talking about values higher than the combined purchases of Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr.

Photo: https://www.nacionfutbol.com.ar/futbolargentino/Alerta-Enzo-Fernandez-el-Chelsea-puso-en-venta-a-11-jugadores-20230325-0016.html

In summary, Chelsea paid €30m or more for 9 players, listed in descending order:

• Enzo Fernandez – €121m
• Wesley Fofana – €80,4m
• Mykhaylo Mudryk – €70m
• Marc Cucurella – €65,3m
• Raheem Sterling – €56,2m
• Benoît Badiashile – €38m
• Kalidou Koulibaly – €38m
• Noni Maduek – €35m
• Malo Gusto – €30m

Incredibly, Chelsea managed to pay double or even triple the market value of many of these players, who had not demonstrated a football that would justify such prices, and they still haven’t done so.

Angelo and Santos

At the beginning of the year, Angelo had changed his representative, Marisa Alija, for Giuliano Bertolucci, known to be one of the biggest agents in the world of football.

The move was made so that Angelo would have more opportunities in the European market since both he and Santos were looking for the player’s departure abroad, with good remuneration.

The fact is that, initially, an official offer from Flamengo arrived around March. Santos did not want to repeat the mistakes of the past and strengthen a rival within the same competitions. Furthermore, they had the help of Angelo, who chose not to play for Flamengo, stating that if he were to leave Santos, it would be for the European market.

Santos’ financial situation, as repeatedly stated by President Andrés Rueda, is desperate. Additionally, the team is going through a terrible moment on the field. So far, they have gone 10 games without a victory, eliminated from all possible competitions, and very close to the relegation zone in the Brazilian League.

Moreover, the club still faces the embargo of Vila Belmiro, which was closed due to another episode of fan protest, with bombs being thrown onto the field after the loss to Corinthians.

Amidst this turmoil, coach Odair Helmann was fired and replaced by Paulo Turra.

It is clear that the club lacks the structure and the environment to develop a young talent like Angelo. The pressure combined with the poor performance of the team causes not only him but also Deivid Washington and Marcos Leonardo to be constantly devalued and lose market value.

Thus, this seems to be a very advantageous deal for Santos.

On the other hand, the club to which Angelo will be transferred, as mentioned earlier, is also not a very conducive environment for growth.

As for the financial aspects, we’re talking about a total value of €15m for the operation. Santos holds 70% of Angelo’s rights, while the player and his family own the remaining 30%. The club is still negotiating a percentage of any future sale.

Photo: AGIF/Abner Dourado;

Offer to Barcelona

In previous administrations, the presidents of Santos, in order to secure deals and reduce debts, promised Barcelona the right of first refusal for their key players.

With Angelo, it was no different. In order for him to join Chelsea, the player must be offered to Barcelona, who have the option to match the €15m value and keep the youngster.

However, when we consider Barcelona’s current situation, especially regarding financial fair play, the Catalan club is expected to exercise its right of first refusal, and if everything goes as planned, Angelo should reinforce Chelsea.

Follow us on social networks to stay updated on the latest transfer market news: Instagram, Facebook e Twitter.

Written by Vitor F L Miller