Manchester United have an agreement with Chelsea on the transfer of rising Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos.
The Red Devils are planning to sign three new midfielders this summer after parting ways with Casemiro and losing Manuel Ugarte to a long-term injury.
Atalanta’s Ederson has long been secured, as he’s expected to finalise a £39 million deal in the coming days. But after missing out on Elliot Anderson (Manchester City) and Mateus Fernandes (Tottenham), they have turned their attention to multiple new profiles.
Man Utd & Chelsea strike £50m Andrey Santos deal
Over the past few days, Aurelien Tchouameni emerged as Man Utd’s potential new top target. But while conflicting reports are painting a cloudy image, it appears that recruiting the French international from Real Madrid remains a daunting task.
On the other hand, Andrey Santos might be a more plausible objective, as Chelsea and the player are said to be open to a deal.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Daily Mail journalist Mike Keegan even suggested that talks are already underway between the parties.
Shortly afterwards, The Athletic correspondent David Ornstein confirmed that the two clubs were able to reach an agreement that will guarantee the Blues £48 million as a fixed transfer, plus £2 million in bonuses.
The West Londoners have also negotiated themselves a 10% sell-on fee in case of a future resale.
Is Santos good enough for Man Utd?
After returning from a loan spell at Strasbourg, Santos found himself playing second fiddle behind Chelsea stalwarts Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo. Therefore, many Man Utd supporters have received the news with scepticism, fearing that the Brazilian doesn’t possess the resume required to fill Casemiro’s shoes.
While this might prove to be the case, MUFC insider Andy Mitten believes Santos could prove to be a true coup, while hailing the midfielder’s football brain.
“He’s not perfect, but he’s got Premier League experience,” argued Mitten on the Talks of the Devils podcast.
“I think there’s a feeling he’s got a Brilliant football brain. He’ll be Brazil’s next number 6. He’s an emerging talent, but he’s not a settled talent. He’s not an established talent, but then Man United need to sign players who they can sell on.”
Author
