Leeds United have the opportunity to bolster their playing squad this month as the January transfer window officially opened for business last week.
It is not easy to get deals over the line at this time of the year as teams may not want to part ways with their top talent midway through a campaign.
This means that the Whites could find it difficult to improve their team immediately with permanent signings, which opens the door to the loan route.
Chief executive Angus Kinnear revealed back in October that the club had deliberately left two loan spots free ahead of the January window to do business this month.
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Two has since become three as Leeds decided to exercise a break clause in Djed Spence's loan from Tottenham Hotspur, which sent the defender on his way back to the Premier League side.
Leeds could, in theory, bring in three more players on loan to add to the group and one star who could arrive in such a move is Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos.
Leeds transfer news – Andrey Santos
The Whites have recently been touted with a possible swoop to sign the Brazilian prospect on loan until the end of the season from the top-flight outfit.
Speaking on CaughtOffside's YouTube channel earlier this month, journalist Ben Jacobs claimed that Leeds could be in the race to land his signature before the end of the window.
The reporter stated that Premier League side Crystal Palace are also interested in a deal to land the former Vasco da Gama star this month.
Jacobs also named Ipswich Town, who are currently second in the Championship and ahead of Daniel Farke's men, as a team to watch out for in regard to Santos' immediate future.
The central midfielder looks set to be available after Chelsea decided to recall him from his loan with Nottingham Forest during the first half of the campaign.
Santos was one of 14 first-team signings for the Tricky Trees last summer and found game time difficult to come by in Steve Cooper's bloated squad.
The young talent played 12 minutes off the bench against Liverpool in October 2023 and that was his only Premier League appearance for Forest in his short time there.
His failure to establish himself as a regular in the top-flight suggests that a loan down to the Championship would be a logical next step for him in his development.
Playing week-in-week-out in the second tier could help Santos to push on and then be ready to make the step up to top level football next season.
Farke must now push for the club to secure a deal for the talented youngster, who showcased his potential in Brazil, as he could be a dream partner for Ethan Ampadu in the middle of the park as an alternative option to Glen Kamara for the German head coach.
Ethan Ampadu's season in numbers
The Whites splashed out an initial fee of £7m to sign the Wales international from Chelsea on a permanent deal last summer and he has been a terrific addition to the squad.
Farke has relied on the defensive midfielder week-in-week-out in the Championship as he has selected the impressive ace in every single match so far this season.
Ampadu has started all 26 of the club's league matches and averaged 90 minutes played per match, which illustrates how important he has been to the side.
The 23-year-old enforcer was not given a rest against Peterborough in the FA Cup and proved his worth to the team once again with two goals and one assist in a 3-0 win.
It has been the other side of his game, however, that has caught the eye this season. Ampadu has been a superb defensive screen in front of the back four for Farke.
Tackles (1.85)
Top 43%
Interceptions (1.54)
Top 14%
Blocks (1.69)
Top 12%
Clearances (1.85)
Top 11%
Aerial duels won (0.85)
Top 48%
As you can see in the table above, the former Chelsea starlet has been an above-average performer in the Championship in terms of the defensive actions he makes per 90.
His 1.5 interceptions per game in the league also tops the Leeds squad and this highlights how important the gem has been to the defensive structure with his ability to cut out opposition attacks on a regular basis.
The statistics that show why Leeds should sign Andrey Santos
Farke could now land a dream partner for Ampadu by striking a deal to sign Santos as the Chelsea youngster can provide combative performances alongside him whilst also being able to carry an attacking threat.
Glen Kamara has been an impressive performer in midfield for Leeds but has never scored more than three goals in a league season and is yet to get off the mark for the club.
Santos, who talent scout Jacek Kulig once hailed as a "pressing machine", has the potential to offer more at the top end of the pitch to provide the Whites with a boost in the final third.
The 19-year-old whiz produced two goals and one assist in five matches at the U20 World Cup for Brazil last year and caught the eye with eight goals and four 'big chances' created in 33 Serie B games for Vasco da Gama in 2022.
These statistics suggest that the teenage dynamo could chip in with goals, whilst also being able to create chances for his teammates, from a defensive or central midfield position, which is something Kamara and Ampadu – with zero league goals this term – do not offer.
Appearances
33
Sofascore rating
7.13
Goals
Eight
Tackles per game
2.9
Duels won per game
8.4
Duel success rate
60%
As you can see from the table above, Santos, who was once described as "wonderful" by Kulig, also has defensive quality and could provide steel in the middle of the park to go along with his attacking prowess.
No Leeds player has made more than 2.4 tackles per match in the Championship this season, which suggests that the 5 foot 11 gem could be an outstanding performer at both ends of the pitch for Leeds if he can recapture that form from 2022.
He could, therefore, be a dream partner for Ampadu by being able to break forward from midfield to make an impact in attack whilst also having the defensive quality to sit in alongside the Welsh ace to shut out opposition teams.