Chelsea have decided to loan Andrey Santos out to a Brazilian club should he fail to obtain a work permit.
The 18-year-old was one of eight players signed during a record-breaking £300million January transfer window, joining for £16m from Vasco da Gama.
Now captaining his Brazil team at the Under-20 South American Championships, the Blues are confident that they can secure a visa for their new midfielder to play in England on his return.
The youngster has been promised that he would be part of Graham Potter's first-team squad immediately upon his arrival after missing out by just one point on his initial work permit application.
With the club already working on a second submission, a contingency plan has been hatched that would see Santos sent back to Brazil temporarily to continue his development.
The youngster, whose stock has never been higher in his homeland, will first be offered to clubs playing in the South American equivalent of the Champions League, the Copa Libertadores.
That includes Palmeiras, Internacional, Fluminense, Corinthians, Flamengo, Athletico Paranaense, Fortaleza and Atletico Mineiro.
The transfer window in Brazil remains open until early April.
