Chelsea have failed to obtain a work permit for one of their January signings.
The Premier League club paid Vasco de Gama £18 million for the 18 year old central midfielder, but, under the totting up system needed for a work permit, he missed out by a single point, partly due to the other midfielders that the club bought.
Santos has just finished playing for Brazil in the South American under-20 championship, where he captained the side that won the trophy, and scored six goals in the process.
Now Chelsea are considering what to do with him in the immediate future, with a loan back to Brazil the most obvious solution, and Palmeiras apparently the most likely candidate to sign him on a short-term basis.
Chelsea fans may be entitled to ask why the club did not do their homework on the likelihood of him being granted a work permit before signing him in the first place.
