Andrey Santos has described Arsenal, whom Chelsea will face on Sunday, as an example for their own project at the club despite the north London side’s lack of major silverware.
On Thursday, it was revealed that Chelsea recorded a record-high pre-tax loss of around £355m in 2024/25, raising a lot of questions about the club’s project under BlueCo ownership.
On the pitch, things have not been rosy, either.
Despite winning the Club World Cup in the summer, Chelsea have struggled to cement their spot in the top five of the Premier League, let alone competing for the title.
Andrey Santos, however, remains confident. He highlighted how Arsenal, whose project is a few years ahead of Chelsea, have not been able to secure a title either.
“I think we’re on the right track,” the midfielder told Brazilian outlet Globo Esporte.
“Chelsea’s project is focused on young players; it’s very clear, and everyone can see that. I was living proof of that.
“I signed with Chelsea at 18, as did other players, so I think the club is still quite young.
“I often say that the Premier League is very difficult, in my opinion, more difficult than the Champions League, because if you’re playing the bottom team, it’s always difficult, and if we play the second-to-last team at home, it’s just as difficult, so I think we need time to get to know each other better as a team.
“New players are arriving with increasing maturity.
“We have the example of our rivals, Arsenal, who have been together for six years and haven’t won the Premier League, but I think Chelsea is on the right track to win major titles in the coming years.”
In fairness, Arsenal came close a few times to winning the league, and are currently leading the competition, albeit only with a five-point cushion over second-placed Manchester City, who have a game in hand.
That said, the Brazil international made a good point that Chelsea will need time to develop their team into a title-challenging side.
