Arsenal have been given an incentive to sign Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos, who is also attracting interest from Manchester United.
Santos joined the Blues from Vasco da Gama in January 2023, but he has made only 47 appearances during his time at the London side.
The Brazilian had his breakout season with the Blues last term. However, he managed only 1,255 minutes across 27 Premier League matches.
Santos is currently behind Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez for a starting spot, and it is unsurprising that he is ‘open to leaving‘ the club.
The Guardian reported yesterday that United are targeting a deal for the £50 million-rated star.
Talks between the clubs have yet to take place, but United are expected to make an offer.
The news could provide an incentive for the Gunners, who looked at the possibility of signing the 22-year-old after his loan at Strasbourg last summer.
Chelsea were not willing to negotiate Santos’ sale at that time, but the scenario has now completely changed, which could be a boost for the Gunners.
Arsenal should view Santos as a market opportunity
The Gunners have earmarked Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes as their prime target and have already made a verbal offer worth £45m.
The club are poised to return with an improved proposal soon, but a deal could be difficult to complete, now that the Magpies have sold Sandro Tonali to Tottenham Hotspur.
Newcastle have recouped £170m from the departures of Anthony Gordon and Tonali, and could demand a significant fee (currently £77m) to part ways with Guimaraes.
If the Magpies don’t lower their valuation, Arsenal may need to look at alternatives.
We believe Santos is a market opportunity. He was tremendous during his loan stint at Strasbourg (24/25), making an impressive 17 goal contributions in 38 matches.
Santos operated as a holding or central midfielder and captained the Ligue 1 side many times. He won seven duels per game (67 percent success rate) with six recoveries and 3.5 tackles.
He was not able to find the same consistency at Chelsea last term after being in and out of the XI. Santos could be tempted to join Arsenal with the assurance of more playing time.
With United pushing for a potential deal, Arsenal may need to move fast to beat them to his signature. It remains to be seen whether they revive their long-term interest in Santos.
Stats from Sofascore & Transfermarkt