Manchester United have reached an agreement with Chelsea to sign midfielder Andrey Santos, according to David Ornstein.
The Red Devils have been in the market to bolster their midfield options this summer, but missed out on deals to sign their top targets Elliot Anderson and Matheus Fernandes, after they moved to Man City and Tottenham Hotspur for £116m and £85m respectively.
But INEOS have now secured their second midfield signing of the summer after agreeing a fee with Premier League rivals Chelsea for the Brazil international.
Man Utd Agree £50m Deal to Sign Andrey Santos
Santos, who has been described as ‘world-class’, has been a long-term target for INEOS, and a deal has now been struck worth a fixed fee of £48m, plus a further £2m in easily achievable add-ons for the 22-year-old.
Personal terms are already in place, and permission has now been given to the midfielder to undergo a medical before putting pen to paper on a long-term contract at Old Trafford. Chelsea have also secured a 10% sell-on clause as part of the deal.
Santos will follow fellow Brazil international teammate Ederson to the club, after United also agreed a £38m deal with Atalanta to sign him earlier in the window. He is expected to undergo a medical imminently, following Brazil’s exit from the World Cup last week.
United have tried to sign Santos previously, initially bringing him up in conversations with Chelsea while a deal for Alejandro Garnacho was being discussed. Chelsea rated him very highly internally, but after handing Moises Caicedo a new contract, the player was keen to move on for more regular first-team football.
While Santos and Ederson is a solid start to a midfield rebuild, there is zero doubt that the club need more if they want to be competitive.
Kobbie Mainoo is the only natural midfielder in the squad following Casemiro’s departure and Manuel Ugarte’s serious knee injury, and he needs a senior partner alongside him who has experience playing at the highest level.
Santos can make an impact immediately, but he is seemingly more of a signing for the future rather than right now, and United will continue to be active in the market for that position.
Credit: GiveMeSports
