{"id":18370,"date":"2026-07-18T00:21:31","date_gmt":"2026-07-18T00:21:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=18370"},"modified":"2026-07-18T00:21:31","modified_gmt":"2026-07-18T00:21:31","slug":"danilo-santos-race-takes-fresh-twist-as-chelsea-make-contact","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=18370","title":{"rendered":"Danilo Santos race takes fresh twist as Chelsea make contact"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"content-main\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!--post-header--><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"post-excerpt left\"><\/p>\n<p>Chelsea have suddenly entered the battle for Botafogo midfielder Danilo Santos, signaling a major shift in the summer market.<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"post-feat-img\" class=\"left relative\" itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" class=\"attachment- size- wp-post-image ewww_webp_lazy_load\" alt=\"Chelsea\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chelsea-FC-158.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chelsea-FC-158-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chelsea-FC-158-768x432.jpg 768w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chelsea-FC-158.jpg\" src-webp=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chelsea-FC-158.jpg.webp\" srcset-webp=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chelsea-FC-158.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chelsea-FC-158-600x338.jpg.webp 600w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chelsea-FC-158-768x432.jpg.webp 768w\"\/><img width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chelsea-FC-158.jpg\" class=\"attachment- size- wp-post-image\" alt=\"Chelsea\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chelsea-FC-158.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chelsea-FC-158-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chelsea-FC-158-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"\/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<meta itemprop=\"url\" content=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chelsea-FC-158.jpg\"\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"1200\"\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"675\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><!--post-feat-img--><\/p>\n<section class=\"social-sharing-top\">\n<p><span class=\"fb-but1\"><i class=\"fa-brands fa-facebook-f\"\/><\/span><span class=\"social-text\">Share<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#\" onclick=\"window.open('http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=Danilo Santos race takes fresh twist as Chelsea make contact -&amp;url=https:\/\/sixsports.in\/danilo-santos-race-takes-fresh-twist-as-chelsea-make-contact\/', 'twitterShare', 'width=626,height=436'); return false;\" title=\"Share This Post\"><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"twitter-but1\"><i class=\"fa-brands fa-x-twitter\"\/><\/span><span class=\"social-text\">Share<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"whatsapp-but1\"><i class=\"fa fa-whatsapp fa-2\"\/><\/span><span class=\"social-text\">Share<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"pinterest-but1\"><i class=\"fa-brands fa-pinterest-p\"\/><\/span><span class=\"social-text\">Share<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"email-but\"><i class=\"fa fa-envelope fa-2\"\/><\/span><span class=\"social-text\">Email<\/span><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<p><!--social-sharing-top--><\/p>\n<div class=\"sx-entity-card\">\n<div class=\"sx-entity-top\">\n<div class=\"sx-entity-logo\">\n                <img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"350\" height=\"350\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"CHELSEA\" src=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/chelsea_fc_logo-1.avif\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"350\" height=\"350\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/chelsea_fc_logo-1.avif\" alt=\"CHELSEA\"\/>\n            <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"sx-entity-description\">\n<p>            Chelsea is one of England\u2019s premier football clubs, competing in the Premier League and European competitions such as the UEFA Champions League. Known for its strong squad, tactical versatility, and competitive history, Chelsea has won multiple league titles, domestic cups,\u2026            <a class=\"sx-entity-readmore\" href=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/team\/chelsea\/\"><br \/>\n                Read More about CHELSEA\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This Chelsea transfer news follows the sale of Andrey Santos to Manchester United. The Blues now look to secure a seasoned Brazilian midfielder to bolster their midfield ranks for the coming season.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-the-sudden-chelsea-entry-in-danilo-santos-transfer-saga\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The sudden Chelsea entry in Danilo Santos transfer saga<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As reported by Football365, the Blues have opened talks with Botafogo regarding Danilo. This sudden entry into the race serves as a replacement plan for the club. A few days ago, they agreed on a sale of Andrey Santos to Man United for a total package of \u00a350 million. They now intend to use those funds to sign a more mature option in the middle of the park.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the same time, a tug of war has begun among several English clubs to sign the player. Before Chelsea made their move, Newcastle held the upper hand in the race to sign the midfielder. Arsenal and Man United have also tracked the player closely through various channels. But after the sale of Andrey Santos, the Blues clearly have the financial muscle to complete the deal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Notably, the player\u2019s market value has shifted recently after the World Cup. Botafogo at first valued him at \u20ac40 million. However, his limited role for Brazil in the 2026 World Cup has led to a change of that asking price. As reported by Tribal Football, his current market value has dropped to roughly \u00a334 million. This price drop makes the move appealing for Chelsea as they seek to refresh their midfield.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Danilo Santos for Botafogo in 2026, as per FOTMOB:<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\">\n<table class=\"has-fixed-layout\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Competitions<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Matches<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Goals<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Assists<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Brazilian Serie A<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>12<\/td>\n<td>7<\/td>\n<td>2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Copa Libertadores<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>3<\/td>\n<td>1<\/td>\n<td>1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"h-a-possible-premier-league-return-for-danilo\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">A possible Premier League return for Danilo<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Brazilian midfielder is no stranger to English football. He joined Nottingham Forest in January 2023 for a reported \u00a316m and has had about two seasons there. As reported by CaughtOffside, he played 62 games for the club and scored six goals across all competitions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His spell in England never really took off due to injury. Danilo suffered his biggest setback in the first game of the 2024-25 season. He broke his leg after only the eighth minute of the game with Bournemouth. It was the final nail in the coffin for his campaign and, ultimately, his time at the club.<\/p>\n<p>Danilo returned to Brazil in July 2025, joining Botafogo in a deal worth around $25 million. He has since found his best form, scoring 11 goals in 41 matches. Because of this impressive display he was selected for Brazil Cup squad for the World Cup. He appeared in 4 matches as a substitute. A move in the Premier League could give the midfielder the chance to revive his career back in England.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" alt=\"Chelsea\" class=\"wp-image-188352 ewww_webp_lazy_load\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chelsea-FC-138.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chelsea-FC-138-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chelsea-FC-138-768x432.jpg 768w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chelsea-FC-138.jpg\" src-webp=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chelsea-FC-138.jpg.webp\" srcset-webp=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chelsea-FC-138.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chelsea-FC-138-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chelsea-FC-138-768x432.jpg 768w\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chelsea-FC-138.jpg\" alt=\"Chelsea\" class=\"wp-image-188352\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chelsea-FC-138.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chelsea-FC-138-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chelsea-FC-138-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"\/><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"h-how-chelsea-could-use-danilo\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Chelsea could use Danilo<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His huge range of passing will allow Chelsea to deploy the midfielder in a variety of tactical positions. Primarily a defensive or central midfielder, he can get forward into attacking areas. His box to box energy helps him at both ends of the pitch. This makes him a good fit for a high intensity system.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to FOTMOB, Danilo has an 85.2% passing accuracy this season. He also recorded 28 shot attempts. of which 12 were on target. He won two Copa Libertadores titles with Palmeiras. That track record adds to his appeal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite offers from other clubs, Chelsea believe their project and offer can convince the player to choose London. As reported by ESPN, Chelsea have already made initial calls to figure out the terms of a potential deal. They can offer a high-paying contract and the platform to compete for major honours. After a poor finish last season, the Blues are looking to sign players that can provide value to their squad.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Read More:<\/strong> <em><strong>Adam Wharton: Chelsea take control after Liverpool decision<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Also Read:<em> Enzo Fernandez sets timeline for Chelsea future decision<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Read Next:<\/strong> <em><strong>Alejandro Garnacho nears transfer as Man Utd set for payday<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"after-article-links\" style=\"margin-top:20px; font-size:14px;\">Follow the latest updates from <strong>Premier League<\/strong>, <strong>The League<\/strong> and<br \/>\n        <strong>Champions League<\/strong>or explore more<br \/>\n        <strong>Football<\/strong> stories, <strong>Football Teams<\/strong> &#038; <strong>All Football Competitions<\/strong> . Follow more updates on CHELSEA. You can also check <strong>Latest Sports News<\/strong> or visit <strong>Six Sports<\/strong> for more Football updates.<\/div>\n<div class=\"fe-author-box\">\n<div class=\"fe-author-avatar\">\n        <img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/592cfc6e430bde054db9697062044413e4e2bbe1d769e42e7afba66d60968472?s=200&amp;d=mm&amp;r=g 2x\" class=\"avatar avatar-100 photo\" height=\"100\" width=\"100\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/592cfc6e430bde054db9697062044413e4e2bbe1d769e42e7afba66d60968472?s=100&amp;d=mm&amp;r=g\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/592cfc6e430bde054db9697062044413e4e2bbe1d769e42e7afba66d60968472?s=100&amp;d=mm&amp;r=g\" srcset=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/592cfc6e430bde054db9697062044413e4e2bbe1d769e42e7afba66d60968472?s=200&amp;d=mm&amp;r=g 2x\" class=\"avatar avatar-100 photo\" height=\"100\" width=\"100\" decoding=\"async\"\/>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mvp-org-wrap\" itemprop=\"publisher\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Organization\">\n<div class=\"mvp-org-logo\" itemprop=\"logo\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"690\" height=\"145\" src=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Six-Sports.png\" src-webp=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Six-Sports.png.webp\" class=\"ewww_webp_lazy_load\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"690\" height=\"145\" src=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Six-Sports.png\"\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<meta itemprop=\"url\" content=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Six-Sports.png\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><!--mvp-org-logo--><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<meta itemprop=\"name\" content=\"Six Sports\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><!--mvp-org-wrap--><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!--posts-nav-link--><\/p>\n<div class=\"mentioned-article-block\">\n<h3 class=\"mentioned-title\">Mentioned in this Article<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!--comments-button--><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!--comments-->\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chelsea have suddenly entered the battle for Botafogo midfielder Danilo Santos, signaling a major shift&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18371,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18370","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chelsea"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18370","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=18370"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18370\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/18371"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=18370"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=18370"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=18370"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}