Cole Palmer wishes Andrey Santos luck after £50m move from Chelsea to Manchester United

Cole Palmer offered a swift public endorsement of Andrey Santos following the Brazilian’s £50 million move from Chelsea to Manchester United, confirmed on Monday. The fee is structured as £48m plus £2m in add-ons, with United having identified Santos as a priority midfield target earlier this summer.

Just over an hour after the transfer was announced, Palmer replied to Manchester United’s Instagram post with: “What a player! Good luck bro.” The message drew attention partly because Palmer, a boyhood United supporter, has himself been loosely linked with a return to the north of England — though those rumours have cooled in recent months as United focused their recruitment on the engine room rather than attack.

Santos, 23, originally joined Chelsea in January 2023, a club United had reportedly monitored him at even before that move. His arrival at Old Trafford gives manager Michael Carrick a new midfield option after a summer in which several attacking reinforcements were added 12 months prior.

Harry Maguire and JJ Gabriel were among the United players to respond to the signing announcement, while Tottenham’s Richarlison also commented in support of his Brazilian international team-mate.

United’s midfield business may not end there. A separate deal for Atalanta’s Ederson collapsed at the eleventh hour after a knee issue came to light, though the club remain open to revisiting that move later in the window in a restructured agreement.

In the meantime, United have agreed a deal for Aston Villa’s Youri Tielemans, activating the Belgian’s £35m release clause with personal terms agreed and a medical scheduled. The 29-year-old missed Belgium’s World Cup quarter-final defeat to Spain with a hamstring problem, though the injury is not thought to be serious. Tielemans has, however, missed 13 games across the 2025/26 campaign due to two separate fitness issues.

With his availability uncertain heading into pre-season, United are expected to pursue at least one further midfield addition, with France and Roma midfielder Manu Koné the latest name to emerge as a reported target.