Barcelona have identified Chelsea’s Andrey Santos as a target, according to today’s Mundo Deportivo.
Gavi will miss rest of the season with a serious injury and this has seen Xavi Hernández request a new midfielder next month.
The Catalan club’s sporting leaders already have a few names on the table and the list includes the Chelsea player.
Barca have decided to strengthen their squad, as long as La Liga’s fair play rules permit. They are focusing on registering Vitor Roque in January and will work on raising funds to help them bring in a midfielder, on loan or on a loan deal with an option to buy.
Apart from the 19-year-old, the report states the Blaugrana also have AS Roma’s Renato Sanches, Arsenal’s Thomas Partey and Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips on their agenda.
Chelsea signed the Brazilian from Vasco da Gama last January and sent him on loan to Nottingham Forest in the last window.
He has been restricted to only seven minutes of action in the league this season and this may convince the Blues to cut short Santos’ loan stay at Nottingham Forest next month and send him out on loan elsewhere.
Barca could take advantage of the Chelsea owned player’s situation and sign him on a dry loan deal.
The Camp Nou side have to make a final decision whether to make an approach for Santos or another player in January.
Andrey Santos getting such a move after failing to make an impact at Nottingham Forest may be down to agent connections, with Barcelona director Deco close to several representatives in Brazil.
