Manchester United are on the verge of signing Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos.
The Red Devils have already reached a full agreement with Chelsea to sign highly rated midfielder Andrey Santos for an initial £48 million, with a further £2m in performance-related add-ons.
Man United legend Rio Ferdinand has now delivered his honest verdict on the transfer.
He said on his podcast Rio Ferdinand Presents: “Andrey Santos has signed for Man United for £50m. Wow!
“Is he the guy who’s gonna replace Casemiro? I don’t think immediately he’s the guy that jumps into those shoes and performs at that level right now.
“Could he grow? Does he have the potential? Yes. Could he be the long-term partner for Kobbie Mainoo? Yes, he could.
“But I’m looking to see who else they bring in in that area of midfield because I think he’s one of two, maybe three, that are coming in that area to go and share the load.
“I have seen a lot of the fan base are quite negative about it, but I only think they’re negative about it because he’s the first one, and other clubs are bidding or signing other names who have been in the news a lot more, and who were expected signings. Is he a good addition to the squad? Yes. Is he gonna start immediately? I would probably say not right now.”
Rio Ferdinand still waiting for a statement signing
Signing Santos for £50 million represents smart business in today’s heavily inflated transfer market.
As Ferdinand rightly pointed out, much of the scepticism surrounding the transfer stems from the fact that Santos is not yet an established superstar.
Manchester City have strengthened with Elliot Anderson, while Tottenham Hotspur splashed huge sums on Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes.
Arsenal are also pushing hard to prise Bruno Guimaraes away from Newcastle United.
United still require one marquee midfield signing capable of transforming the starting XI from day one.
Ederson is expected to become the club’s second midfield arrival, but he too arrives without a global reputation.
Aurelien Tchouameni would have been the dream acquisition, but his reported contract extension with Real Madrid ended those hopes.
Santos undoubtedly possesses enormous potential, combining defensive intelligence with the ability to break opposition lines through progressive passing.
However, INEOS need to add more firepower after the exit of Casemiro and a long term injury to Manuel Ugarte.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com