Andre Santos has been a winner for Chelsea and, despite a poor loan spell at Nottingham Forest, is a familiar face to the cash-rich tycoon as an emerging star.
The 21-year-old midfielder signed from Vasco da Gama in January 2023 for €12.5 million ($14.5 million) but remained with the club in his native Brazil until June.
He has been loaned out to Nottingham Forest for a disappointing six months from August 2023. Santos played just one League Cup game and played just seven minutes in his only Premier League game.
The Brazilian enjoyed a successful loan spell at Strasbourg, which started in February 2024 and ended in May 2025. Santos lit up Ligue 1, scoring 10 goals in 32 top-flight games and attracting numerous clubs to monitor his availability.
Santo's winning start
Santos immediately joined Chelsea for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, where he featured in four matches and ultimately helped the English side unexpectedly lift the prestigious trophy.
He has since become a regular at Chelsea, with the club asking €35 million ($40.8 million) for the young star.
The Bianconeri look likely to cash in on their outstanding Juventus graduate Yildiz, and with a host of European giants including Chelsea chasing the 20-year-old, a ready-made swap would be ideal to bolster their midfield.
If Chelsea cannot lure Turkish talent Yildiz to London, they will definitely keep Santos.
Juventus are arguably no longer a strength in Italy, especially in Europe, so it seems logical to sell Yildiz in order to start building a new team.
Juventus looks to the future
Despite investing heavily in midfielders who underperformed at Juve such as Douglas Luiz and Ten Kupmainas, the Bianconeri are still trying to strengthen the midfield with versatile B2B players.
Young energy rather than those in the twilight of their careers seems to be the best option as they won't be commanding huge salaries and can be coached to fulfill their potential.
Chelsea have integrated Santos into the first-team squad and have featured in five Premier League games this season but have yet to establish themselves as a consistent starter, despite playing an important role in the manager's rotation.
Santos may delay a move to Juventus as the Turin giants are clearly not ready to compete for trophies, although that could change if a big-name boss takes over from Igor Tudor.