Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos has revealed why he turned down the chance to make mega money playing for Al Qadsiah in Saudi Arabia.
Santos joined Chelsea from Vasco da Gama for around £10million in January 2023.
He spent the second half of 2022/23 on loan at the Brazilian club before being loaned out to Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest until January 2024.
The 21-year-old didn’t make his league debut for the Blues until last month after spending 2024/25 on loan at Strasbourg.
He was fantastic in France but has been unable to break into Enzo Maresca’s starting XI thanks to the form of Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, while club captain Reece James is also an option in defensive midfield.
MORE: Premier League team of the 2025/26 season so far has no Liverpool players
There was speculation surrounding Santos’ future at Stamford Bridge throughout the summer transfer window, with West Ham United reportedly failing with a £45m bid, while Manchester United and Arsenal were also linked.
Chelsea have insisted that the Brazilian isn’t for sale, but a reported £60m offer from Saudi Arabian outfit Al Qadsiah brought them to the negotiating table.
Brazilian outlet UOL reported that Santos turned Al Qadsiah down anyway, despite being offered around five times his current salary.
Money is not the priority for the 21-year-old, who is targeting next year’s World Cup and knows playing for Chelsea gives him a better chance of making Carlo Ancelotti’s squad.
MORE ON CHELSEA ON F365
👉 Ben Jacobs confirms Raheem Sterling transfer decision as bomb squad exile continues
👉 The Famous F365 Friday Quiz: Summer transfer window edition
👉 Premier League back-up goalkeepers ranked: Kepa over Onana, Liverpool man comfortably top
He confirmed as much this week, admitting that he was offered a significant Saudi paycheck but “immediately declined” the offer.
“The offer did arrive, but I immediately declined because of my dream and main goal, which is the World Cup,” Santos told Trivela.
“I know that being at Chelsea and in the Premier League gives me better chances than in Saudi Arabia.
“That was the main factor in my response to them.”
It’s a breath of fresh air to see a young talent like Santos turn down Middle Eastern riches for footballing reasons.
There’s enough football to be played this season for Santos to stake a claim for a place in Brazil’s World Cup squad.
He played four times as Chelsea won the Club World Cup this summer, and has come off the bench in all three of their Premier League games in 2025/26.
With Champions League football and two domestic cup competitions running alongside the league calendar, there will be plenty of opportunities to impress.
Caicedo and Fernandez are undroppable under Maresca, which is fair, but Santos appears to be the immediate defensive-midfield back-up.
READ MORE: Newcastle ‘mugged Liverpool blind’ and Alexander Isak ‘needs to fire his agent’
