Manchester United have reached an agreement with Chelsea to sign Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos for an initial £48 million, with £2 million in achievable add-ons and a 10% sell-on clause for Chelsea, the club confirmed Monday.
The deal, which progressed rapidly after United expressed interest over the weekend, includes a medical clearance for Santos. Fellow Brazilian midfielder Ederson is also scheduled for a medical ahead of his £35 million transfer from Atalanta, following Brazil’s World Cup elimination.
The signings address a critical midfield shortage for United, who lost Casemiro at the end of his contract and face an extended injury absence for Manuel Ugarte due to cruciate ligament damage.
Their pursuit of Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson was abandoned due to a £110 million-plus valuation, and West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes joined Tottenham for £85 million.
With Kobbie Mainoo still at the World Cup, United open their pre-season campaign against Wrexham on July 18 with only Mason Mount as a recognized senior midfielder in Michael Carrick’s squad.
Santos, 22, brings 28 Premier League appearances—including a loan spell at Nottingham Forest—and is seen as a developmental asset.
He becomes Chelsea’s third major summer departure, following Marc Cucurella’s sale to Real Madrid and Tyrique George’s move to Everton. Chelsea, who have no European competition this season, are reshaping their midfield under new manager Xabi Alonso around Moisés Caicedo and potentially Enzo Fernández.
