Manchester United could reportedly be handed a fresh opportunity to pursue Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos if Chelsea move ahead with plans to sign another central midfielder in the upcoming transfer window, according to Journalist Ben Jacobs.
United were previously linked with Santos before his move to Stamford Bridge in January 2023, when Chelsea secured the highly rated youngster from Brazilian side Vasco da Gama. The Brazilian has since spent time developing away from west London, including a productive loan spell at French club RC Strasbourg Alsace.
According to reports circulating in England and Europe, Chelsea’s recruitment team are assessing further reinforcements in midfield ahead of next season. Should the club complete another signing in that area, Santos’ pathway into the first-team rotation could become more complicated, potentially opening the door for rival clubs to explore a move.
Manchester United, who are expected to review midfield options in the summer, are among the sides monitoring the situation. The Old Trafford club have been linked with several younger midfield profiles as they look to refresh the squad and add energy in central areas.
CHELSEA remain firm in their stance that Santos is not for sale, as they already made clear to their counterparts from Manchester last summer, but United could still make a move: “The only other name that I’ve heard and I’ll kind of repeat it from the Garnacho talks, is Andrey Santos,” Ben Jacobs said on The United Stand.
“And right now, I think it’s less likely than it was when Man Utd and Chelsea were negotiating over Alejandro Garnacho because at that point, Santos was not really getting game time. And now he’s playing under a manager who knows him really well from Strasbourg.
“And as a consequence, Chelsea’s not for sale stance, which was said at the time when they were talking over Alejandro Garnacho, is probably one that you would expect them to double down on heading into the summer.
“But if Chelsea bring in another midfielder, you’ve got Enzo Fernandez, who’s been pushed forwards, if Romeo Lavia gets fit, Reece James is being played in midfield and Moises Caicedo is basically undroppable – so, Chelsea do have a lot of midfielders.
“Man Utd’s interest in Santos also remains, it’s just not currently a market opportunity. Because of all these long-term contracts Chelsea hand out, as it stands at the moment, in any negotiation, they’ve got all of the cards.”
While CHELSEA have consistently stated their belief in Santos’ long-term potential, the club’s large and competitive squad means some players could move on temporarily or permanently to gain regular minutes. With midfield already featuring several established options, another incoming signing could push Santos further down the pecking order.
For Manchester United, the situation could represent an opportunity to revive their previous interest. A loan move has been suggested as one possible scenario, though a permanent transfer would likely depend on Chelsea’s long-term plans for the player.
At this stage the speculation remains early, and no formal approach from United has been confirmed. However, with the summer transfer window approaching and Chelsea continuing to reshape their squad, Santos’ future is likely to attract increasing attention across Europe.
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