Man United's midfield rebuild is gathering pace after agreeing a £50 million deal to sign Andrey Santos from Chelsea, with the Brazilian due to undergo his medical today before completing the move.
The agreement, worth £48m upfront plus £2m in add-ons, also includes a 10 per cent sell-on clause for Chelsea.
andrey-santos-chelsea-premier-league (2)
It is another major midfield addition by Michael Carrick's side, who have already secured Ederson, although the signing has divided opinion among supporters.
Many fans had hoped United would land Mateus Fernandes before Tottenham won that race, while links to Aurelien Tchouameni also raised expectations before it became apparent the Frenchman was committed to Real Madrid.
aurelien-tchouameni-france
Despite the mixed reaction, Santos arrives with an impressive reputation after an outstanding campaign on loan at Strasbourg.
The 22-year-old bagged 11 goals and five assists from midfield in 2024/2025, emerging as one of the French league's standout young players before returning to Chelsea.
However, with Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernández firmly established in midfield, Santos struggled to assert himself as a key starter.
Interestingly, fresh details have emerged about just how close United came to missing out on Santos altogether.
Chelsea received Newcastle approach for Andrey Santos before Man Utd deal
According to journalist Marco Alcaraz, Newcastle made a late move for the Brazilian within the last day before Man United beat them to the punch.
Football FanCast's Verdict
Credibility
Finances
Insight
Impact
The Magpies reportedly matched Chelsea's asking price and even offered Santos a more lucrative salary package in an attempt to hijack the transfer.
However, Alcaraz claims the midfielder made the Red Devils his clear priority, with that decision impressing Old Trafford's hierarchy and convincing them to accelerate negotiations to ensure the deal was completed before Newcastle could make further progress.
That willingness to choose United over a bigger wage is likely to be viewed positively inside Carrick's dressing room.
It suggests Santos believes the sporting project outweighs financial considerations, particularly with United rebuilding a younger midfield around players capable of growing together over the next few seasons.
Even so, supporters remain split.
Some see Santos as one of Europe's brightest midfield prospects after his breakthrough in France, while others feel United have settled after missing out on higher-profile targets earlier in the window.
Andrey Santos has potential to thrive at Old Trafford
Those concerns are understandable, but they may prove premature.
Santos is not arriving with the pedigree of Tchouameni or the excitement surrounding Fernandes, yet his development over the last 18 months has been impressive.
World Cup 2026 Quiz
You scored
↩ Play again
His ability to recover possession, arrive late in the penalty area and play progressively from midfield gives Carrick a profile United have lacked.
Rather than judging the signing against the names they failed to land, supporters should judge Santos on what he has already shown.
If he reproduces the form that made him one of Ligue 1's best young midfielders, United may look back on this deal as one of the smartest pieces of business of the summer.
Chelsea - Stamford Bridge Related
[Chelsea identify "silky" £43m star as prime target, talks have now been opened](https://www.footballfancast.com/chelsea-identify-karim-coulibaly-prime-transfer-target-talks-opened/ "Chelsea identify "silky" £43m star as prime target, talks have now been opened")
The Blues are very keen on signing an in-demand defender.