Manchester United agree £50m deal with Chelsea for midfielder Andrey Santos

Manchester United agreed a £50 million deal with Chelsea for Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos. The agreement includes an initial £48 million payment plus £2 million in achievable add-ons and a 10 percent sell-on clause for Chelsea. Santos has been cleared for a medical.

The deal progressed quickly after United made their interest known over the weekend. United's senior players prepare to return for pre-season training on Thursday. United prioritised central midfield this summer following the exit of Casemiro when the veteran former Real Madrid man's contract came to an end.

Manuel Ugarte has been ruled out for an extended period with cruciate knee ligament damage. Their hopes of signing Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest faded when it became apparent it would cost in excess of £110 million. United turned their attention to West Ham's Mateus Fernandes but he joined Tottenham instead after the north London outfit offered a guaranteed £85 million.

With Kobbie Mainoo still at the World Cup with England, United face opening their pre-season campaign against Wrexham in Helsinki on 18 July with Mason Mount as the only recognised senior midfielder in Michael Carrick's squad. Santos is set to become Chelsea's third significant departure of the summer after Marc Cucurella was sold to Real Madrid and Tyrique George left for Everton.

Chelsea paid £16 million to Vasco da Gama for Santos in 2023 and are set to make a significant profit.

Santos has shown plenty of promise during his time at Chelsea, but he has found himself behind the established midfield partnership. Sources close to the player indicated several weeks ago that Santos was keen to move on in search of regular first-team football.

Chelsea have long regarded the Brazilian highly, although he has also experienced difficult spells adapting to the demands of Premier League football.