Andrey Santos Manchester United deal agreed for £48m as medical set to follow
Manchester United have reached agreement to sign Andrey Santos from Chelsea for £48m plus £2m in add-ons, with the midfielder cleared to undergo a medical after personal terms were agreed.
Manchester United have secured a deal to sign Andrey Santos, according to journalist David Ornstein, as the club move to bolster their midfield ahead of the new season. The transfer — reported as £48 million up front with a further £2m in potential add-ons — includes permission for Santos to travel for a medical, with personal terms said to be in place. This development follows United’s reported verbal agreement to bring in Atalanta’s Ederson and arrives amid midfield changes at Old Trafford, where squad fitness and departures have created openings. The signing, if completed, would add a young defensive option to a Manchester United midfield reshaped over the summer.
Agreement details and immediate next steps
Manchester United and Chelsea are understood to have concluded talks that will see Andrey Santos move to Old Trafford for an initial fee of £48m plus up to £2m in add-ons. The fee structure and the clearance for Santos to undergo his medical indicate both clubs believe the paperwork is now largely settled and only formalities remain.
Santos has been given permission to complete his medical examination, a standard final stage in high-value transfers, and is expected to travel to Manchester imminently. With personal terms already agreed, sources say the remaining steps are logistical: the medical, the final contract signing and registration with the relevant authorities.
Medical timeline and fitness questions
United’s move to arrange a medical is the clearest sign the transfer is in its final phase, though medicals often reveal details that can affect or delay a deal. The club have reportedly matched Chelsea’s valuation and prepared terms, while allowing Santos the chance to pass his examinations in Manchester.
There is also a separate medical process for the club’s linked target from Atalanta, and United will be assessing both players’ fitness closely. Any issues uncovered during these checks could prompt further negotiations or contingency planning by United’s medical and recruitment teams.
Santos’s profile and recent form
Andrey Santos is a 22-year-old Brazilian midfielder whose profile has drawn attention for a mix of defensive intensity and passing efficiency. He emerged as a promising talent during a loan spell at Strasbourg in 2024/25, where he posted impressive defensive figures and contributed regularly to the attack.
At Strasbourg he averaged high duel and tackle numbers while making nearly six recoveries per game and completing a high percentage of passes. Those performances helped shape expectations that Santos could develop into a controlling midfield presence, combining ball-winning ability with tidy distribution at the top end of the pitch.
Chelsea spell and minutes at Stamford Bridge
Santos returned to Chelsea for the 2024/25 season and made 43 appearances in all competitions, including 27 Premier League outings, but he logged fewer than 1,300 top-flight minutes. At Stamford Bridge he found himself behind established midfield figures, limiting his consistent exposure during an important stage of his development.
Competition from the likes of Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez restricted Santos’s opportunities to stake a regular claim, despite flashes of the form he showed in France. Chelsea’s depth in central midfield and the club’s selection decisions meant Santos often found himself used more sparingly than his loan season suggested he deserved.
How Santos fits into United’s midfield plans
Manchester United’s midfield blueprint appears to accommodate Santos as a defensive-minded option who can compete for a No.6 role. Kobbie Mainoo is widely viewed as a central figure in United’s No.8 position, while the club’s exit of Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte’s long-term knee injury have created room for reinforcements in deeper midfield positions.
Santos offers attributes United have been seeking: aggression in duels, recovery work and reliable passing under pressure. Those skills could be deployed to protect the backline and allow more creative teammates to operate higher up the pitch, fitting the profile of a midfield screen that pairs with more attack-minded players.
Transfer context and wider summer business
This reported move forms part of a wider recruitment drive at Manchester United as they attempt to reconfigure their squad balance. The club’s linked interest in Atalanta’s Ederson, and reports of a verbal agreement for that deal, suggest United are pursuing multiple targets to strengthen different areas of the team.
The club will continue to evaluate medical results and the status of other incoming players, while also managing departures and squad registration ahead of the season. Timing will be important for United to integrate new signings during pre-season and ensure candidates like Santos have time to adapt to Erik ten Hag’s tactical demands.
Manchester United’s pursuit of Andrey Santos marks another data point in a summer of significant midfield activity for the club. If the deal completes as reported, Santos will arrive with a clear opportunity to compete for minutes and stake a claim as a defensive fulcrum in a restructured midfield.
Santos’s progression from a standout loan season in Ligue 1 to limited minutes at Chelsea and now a potential move to Old Trafford underscores the fine margins in the careers of young midfielders. United will be hoping that a fresh environment and regular playing time can unlock the potential he demonstrated in France and during his breakthrough stages.
The club’s handling of medicals, squad management and tactical integration over the coming weeks will determine how quickly Santos can make an impact, and whether the investment of up to £50m ultimately delivers the midfield stability United seek.
