A player valued at £18 million will make a decision on his potential departure from Chelsea next week.

Chelsea brought back Andrey Santos from his loan at Nottingham Forest in the early part of this month.

Andrey Santos faced challenges during his time at the City Ground, as he did not secure a starting position in any Premier League match.

As per the Evening Standard, he will take until next week to make a decision about whether to remain at Chelsea or opt for another loan spell.

Santos is not the sole player Chelsea has brought back this month. Numerous players have returned to Stamford Bridge, with Cesare Casadei being one of them.

Initially loaned out to Leicester City for the season, Mauricio Pochettino has now affirmed that the Italian will be included in the first team for the remaining part of the campaign.

The resolution of Andrey Santos’ future appears imminent. It seems a loan move would be the optimal choice for him, especially considering Cesare Casadei’s confirmed retention.

Keeping both Santos and Casadei at the club simultaneously might not be the most sensible decision.

With Casadei’s continued presence at Stamford Bridge, Pochettino currently boasts five fit midfielders: the Italy U21 international, Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Conor Gallagher, and Carney Chukwuemeka.

The return of Romeo Lavia and Lesley Ugochukwu from injuries will add two more options for the Argentine.

Given the available choices and Santos’ limited playing time in the first half of the season, it’s likely he will have minimal opportunities in west London.

Considering his lack of action at Forest, where he made just one Premier League appearance, both the young Brazilian and Chelsea may prefer another loan spell for him.

The hope is that his stint elsewhere proves more successful than his time at Forest.