Manchester United have agreed a £50m deal with Chelsea to sign Brazilian central midfielder Andrey Santos this summer.
The deal progressed quickly over the course of a few hours after United made their interest in Santos known over the weekend.
United will pay an initial £48m for the 22-year-old, with a further £2m in add-ons described as achievable, and Chelsea have also secured a 10% sell-on clause.
Santos has been cleared to undergo a medical at United, with fellow Brazilian Ederson also set to complete his own medical ahead of a separate £35m move from Atalanta.
The Ederson deal follows Brazil’s elimination from the World Cup, with both signings arriving as United’s senior players prepare to return for pre-season training on Thursday.
United made central midfield a priority this summer after veteran former Real Madrid man Casemiro departed when his contract expired, leaving a significant gap in the squad.
Manuel Ugarte had been expected to be sold but the Uruguay international will instead miss an extended period after suffering cruciate knee ligament damage.
United’s pursuit of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest faded after it became apparent the fee would exceed £110m, while West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes joined Tottenham for a guaranteed £85m instead.
With Kobbie Mainoo still at the World Cup with England, United faced the prospect of opening their pre-season campaign against Wrexham in Helsinki on 18 July with Mason Mount as their only recognised senior midfielder in Michael Carrick’s squad.
Santos brings meaningful Premier League experience to Old Trafford, having made 28 appearances in the division, including a loan spell at Nottingham Forest.
Despite his promise, Santos found himself behind the established midfield partnership of Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo at Stamford Bridge, limiting his opportunities for regular first-team football.
Sources close to the player indicated several weeks ago that Santos was keen to move on in search of consistent playing time at the highest level.
Chelsea paid £16m to sign Santos from Vasco da Gama in 2023, meaning the club stand to make a significant profit on the Brazilian’s departure.
New Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso is shaping his midfield around Caicedo and possibly Fernandez, making Santos’s exit a logical outcome for both club and player.
Santos will become Chelsea’s third significant departure of the summer, following Marc Cucurella’s move to Real Madrid and Tyrique George’s transfer to Everton.
Defender Trevoh Chalobah, valued at around £35m, is also expected to leave Chelsea, with Inter Milan currently frontrunners to secure his signature.
For United, the arrival of Santos and Ederson goes some way to resolving what had been building into a major concern ahead of the new season.
