Manchester United have signed Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos from Chelsea in a £48 million deal, with discussions also underway over a move for Aston Villa’s Youri Tielemans as they look to restructure their midfield.
Earlier this week, United confirmed an agreement with Chelsea for Santos, with the 22-year-old completing his medical. The deal will remain in effect until June 2031, with the option to extend it for a further year.
Santos was part of the Chelsea squad that won the 2025 Club World Cup and made 43 appearances for them in the previous season. He will play under former England midfielder and current United manager Michael Carrick
Andrey Santos, who missed out on Brazil’s FIFA World Cup squad, has already started training with United ahead of the upcoming season.
Manchester United will begin their pre-season campaign against Wrexham in Helsinki on 18 July.
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Besides Santos, the Red Devils are also interested in signing Youri Tielemans after his impressive performances for Belgium in the FIFA World Cup. The 29-year-old has been on the club’s radar for a considerable period.
Tielemans played a key role in Belgium’s run to the World Cup quarter-finals but was forced to pull out of the 2-1 defeat by Spain after suffering an injury during the warm-up.
Following Casemiro’s departure and Manuel Ugarte’s knee injury, England’s Kobbie Mainoo had been their only experienced orthodox central midfielder.
United also lost out to Manchester City in their attempts to sign first-choice Elliot Anderson, while Mateus Fernandes, another target, opted to move to Tottenham Hotspur from West Ham.
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Following the announcement, Santos described joining Manchester United as a special moment and said Carrick was the ideal coach to take his game to the next level.
“Everything about Manchester United is special,” he said. “It is an incredible feeling to join a club that some of my biggest idols have represented,” he said.
“As a midfielder, I am really excited to have the opportunity to learn from Michael Carrick. He is the perfect coach to help me take the next step in my career and push to achieve my dreams,” he added.
The Brazilian also praised the club’s environment and expressed his eagerness to begin the new chapter.
“Everybody told me about how ambitious the club is and the amazing environment that has been created here. I know just how strong the squad is, and I cannot wait to fight together to compete for the biggest trophies.”
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