Manchester United have signed Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos from Chelsea in a deal worth £48 million, with the 22-year-old committing to the club until June 2031.
Santos has completed his medical and signed his contract, with an option included to extend his deal by a further year beyond that date.
The midfielder was part of the Chelsea squad that won the Club World Cup in 2025 and made 43 appearances for the club last season.
Director of football Jason Wilcox expressed his delight at landing a player he described as a key target for the club this summer.
“Andrey is an outstanding midfielder with excellent technical qualities and the ability to impact the game at both ends of the pitch,” said Wilcox.
“Despite already having extensive experience, leadership abilities and proving his talent at the highest level, Andrey still has enormous potential to develop further, and we cannot wait to see him flourish at Manchester United.”
Santos himself was equally enthusiastic about the move, citing manager Michael Carrick as a major factor in his decision to join Old Trafford.
“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.”
Santos has already begun training with the squad and could feature in United’s pre-season opener against Wrexham in Helsinki on 18 July.
United are also in advanced talks to sign Aston Villa midfielder Youri Tielemans, with sources indicating that a deal is close to being finalised.
The 29-year-old Belgian international has been on United’s radar for some time, and his Villa contract is understood to contain a release clause that simplifies negotiations considerably.
Tielemans was a prominent figure in Belgium’s run to the World Cup quarter-finals before being forced off injured in the warm-up ahead of the 2-1 defeat by Spain.
The push to strengthen the midfield comes after a difficult summer in which United missed out on several targets in what had been identified as a priority position.
United lost out to Manchester City in the race for Elliot Anderson, while Mateus Fernandes chose to join Tottenham Hotspur from West Ham rather than move to Old Trafford.
Following Casemiro’s departure and Manuel Ugarte’s knee injury, England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo had been their only experienced orthodox central midfielder heading into the new campaign.
In a blow to their transfer plans, United have shelved their £35 million move for Atalanta’s Ederson after a medical revealed an injury-related concern.
The 27-year-old travelled to England for further specialist tests following initial concerns flagged in the United States, and the results led United to withdraw from the deal.
Sources indicate the transfer could potentially be revisited later in the window, though United would not be willing to proceed on the same financial terms that had previously been agreed.
The club has stressed that the signing of Santos was not triggered by the problems surrounding the Ederson transfer, with the two deals having been pursued independently of one another.
