Andrey Santos turns down Saudi millions, Vasco miss out on R$11 million | OneFootball

The midfielder Andrey Santos, revealed by Vasco and currently at Chelsea, turned down a million-dollar offer to transfer to Al-Qadsiah, from Saudi Arabia. The club, owned by the state oil company Aramco, offered the player a contract with an annual salary of 8 million euros (about R$ 50 million), which is five times more than he currently earns in England.

The formal offer to Chelsea was 70 million euros (about R$ 445 million). If the negotiation had been finalized, Vasco would have been entitled to 2.5% of the transfer value, as a training club, which would yield approximately R$ 11 million to the club's coffers.

+ Former Vasco player sold for R$ 4.7 million to Alverca, Portugal

Andrey Santos lifts the world champion trophy won by Chelsea – Image: Instagram / @chelsea

Decision to stay at Chelsea

Despite the tempting offer, Andrey chose to remain in English football. According to UOL, the player prioritized staying in the Premier League to increase his chances of playing in the next World Cup with the Brazilian National Team.

The 20-year-old midfielder has been on the last two call-up lists by coach Carlo Ancelotti and believes that playing at a high level in Europe is essential to continue being remembered.

Moment at the English club

At Chelsea, Andrey is still seeking his place. He was a starter only in the victory over Palmeiras in the Club World Cup but has appeared in all three Premier League matches played so far, always in the second half. The competition is tough, with Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo being the starters for coach Enzo Maresca.

Sources close to the player revealed that he would only consider a move to Saudi football for an even higher offer, at least double what was offered.

Impact for Vasco

The Cruzmaltino, which is going through financial difficulties, missed out on a significant amount with the player's refusal. Still, the club remains hopeful of profiting from a future negotiation involving its homegrown talent.

+ Pedrinho visits CBF headquarters to address Vasco's interests after arbitration controversies, understand

Andrey Santos has been a substitute at Chelsea but plays in every game – Image: Chelsea.

+ Follow Papo na Colina's social networks: Thread, Bluesky, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok and Google News

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.