Manchester United has completed the signing of Chelsea’s Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos for an initial fee of around £48m, which could rise to £50m with add-ons, with a 10 per cent sell-on clause also included in the deal.
Santos replacing compatriot Casemiro
The 22-year-old becomes Michael Carrick’s first permanent signing since his arrival at Old Trafford.
🚨🔴 OFFICIAL: Andrey Santos, new Man United player on £48m plus £2m deal from Chelsea.
“Since when I was young, I’ve dreamed of this moment. The history, the responsibility that comes with this badge, that’s why I’m here”.
“I will put my name in history of this big club”. pic.twitter.com/zwcxalvvN8
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 13, 2026
The centre of midfield was one of the priority positions to strengthen this summer after the departure of Santos’ experienced compatriot Casemiro following the expiration of his contract in Manchester.
Casemiro enjoyed one of his best seasons at United in the 2025/26 season, scoring nine goals and producing two assists in 34 appearances, including 33 starts and one substitute appearance.
Looking for regular football
Andrey Santos struggled for regular first-team football at Chelsea last season. In fact, he made 14 substitute appearances and started just 13 times in the Premier League.
The most consistent season of his professional career so far came while on loan at Ligue One Strasbourg in the 2024/25 season, when he made 32 appearances in the French top-flight, scoring ten goals and producing four assists.
The Brazilian had major competition for a spot in the centre of the Chelsea midfield, competing against the likes of Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia for next season, and with no European football, Santos may have struggled for minutes for the Blues.
United still looking for midfield options
Manchester United is believed to still be looking for more midfield reinforcements, despite recently signing Belgium international midfielder Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa for around £36m.
Reportedly, the Red Devils could have revisited a move for another Brazilian international, Atalanta’s Ederson.
United had already agreed a fee with LA Dea for the midfielder, but the deal is believed to have broken down over a medical. However, fresh reports claim that they won’t look to sign the 27-year-old this summer.
United have also been consistently linked with Brighton’s defensive midfielder Carlos Baleba. While Bournemouth’s Alex Scott, Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi and Fulham’s Sander Berge are all reported to be of interest to United, as they look to strengthen ahead of their return to the Champions League in season 2026/27.