The Premier League Panel Which teams will get better or worse next season
Manchester United and Chelsea will get the opportunity to bolster their ranks in the January transfer window
Manchester United have seen an upturn in form over the past couple of weeks in the Premier League after an inconsistent start to the season. The Red Devils have won their last two games on the spin against Sunderland and Liverpool to significantly ease pressure off Ruben Amorim as they prepare to play Brighton and Hove Albion at home this weekend. They won 2-1 at Anfield last time out with Bryan Mbeumo and Harry Maguire on the score-sheet.
As for Chelsea, they will be in confident mood at the moment under Enzo Maresca. They have won four matches on the bounce in all competitions. The London outfit are back in action in the league on Saturday afternoon against Sunderland as they aim to keep their recent momentum going.
Manchester United eye Chelsea midfielder Audrey Santos
United have been linked with a move for Chelsea midfielder Audrey Santos, via talkSPORT. Al-Qadsiah and Bayern Munich have also been mentioned as potential suitors. The Red Devils have the chance to bring in some new faces in the upcoming January transfer window after a busy summer that saw the likes of Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko arrive through the entrance door.
Santos, 21, could be seen as a long-term option for the North West giants. He would give Amorim more competition and depth in the middle of the park, as well as more energy and enthusiasm. The youngster has struggled for regular minutes at Stamford Bridge and a winter exit would help him get some more game time somewhere else.
The Brazil international, who has four caps to his name, started his career at Vasco da Gama and rose up through their academy ranks. He was a regular at various different youth levels before stepping up into their first-team as a teenager. Chelsea came calling back in 2023 and lured him over to Europe from South America.
Santos has since featured on 13 occasions for the Blues and hasn’t quite managed to nail down a place in their starting XI. He has been loaned out in the past to Strasbourg and Nottingham Forest to get some experience under his belt and boost his development. The Rio de Janeiro-born man’s situation is up in the air now though amid reported attention from United and others and it remains to be seen what will happen next with him.
Manchester United and Chelsea should conduct swap deal
Kobbie Mainoo’s career at United has stalled recently and a change of scene to Chelsea would do him good. Therefore, the pair should conduct a swap deal involving Mainoo and Santos. It would suit both parties involved and would ensure neither get left short changed.
Mainoo, 20, doesn’t start very often with the Red Devils and has fallen out of favour under Amorim. Someone of his talent and ability deserves to be one of the first names on the team sheet and he would get much more luck under Maresca with the Blues. He remains under contract until 2027 but it would be a real surprise to see him stay until then.
The Stockport-born man is still very young and has bags of potential to get better down the line. He broke into United’s senior set-up back in 2022 and enjoyed plenty of opportunities initially. The prospect also got some caps for England but has fallen out of Amorim’s plans of late and it remains to be seen what will happen to him next.
Mainoo doesn’t seem to suit Amorim’s style so cutting ties with him would be a sensible choice. He fits Chelsea’s transfer policy of signing young players and making them better. His arrival would open the door for Santos to leave and he would compete with stars like Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez for a place in Maresca’s midfield department if he made the switch down to London.
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