Man United target £50m Chelsea midfielder Santos as Lille chief warns Bouaddi will cost more than £116m

Manchester United are targeting Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos in a £50m deal as manager Michael Carrick looks to overhaul his midfield following Casemiro’s departure, while Lille president Olivier Letang has cautioned that any club pursuing 18-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi must be prepared to break the bank.

United turn to Santos after missing out on midfield targets

United have begun exploring a move for Santos after losing out on Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, who joined Manchester City, and West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes, who moved to Tottenham Hotspur. According to The Guardian, the 22-year-old Brazilian is open to leaving Stamford Bridge in search of regular first-team football, having found himself behind Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez in Chelsea’s midfield pecking order.

Chelsea value Santos at approximately £50m. The club are looking to raise funds to support new manager Xabi Alonso’s transfer plans, which could smooth the path for a deal. United have already agreed a move for Atalanta’s Ederson, but are understood to be seeking at least two centre midfielders ahead of their Champions League return.

Lille chief issues Bouaddi price warning

United are also among a group of clubs — reportedly including Arsenal and Liverpool — monitoring Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi following his standout performances for Morocco at the World Cup. However, Lille president Olivier Letang made clear that the teenager will not come cheap.

“Many clubs are interested in him, but very few can afford him right now,” Letang told Eurosport. “He’s already one of the best midfielders in the world and still has significant room for improvement.”

When pressed on a specific asking price, Letang declined to name a figure but pointed to the transfer fees commanded by older, more established players as a benchmark. “How much have players like Anderson or Tonali been sold for, who are much older, but without room for improvement — so you have an idea of the value of Ayyoub, who has a unique profile at only 18 years old,” he said, referencing Anderson’s £116m move and Sandro Tonali’s proposed £100m transfer to Spurs.

The comments suggest Lille would expect a fee that exceeds both benchmarks for a player who, at 18, still has his peak years ahead of him. United’s pursuit of Santos may therefore represent the more immediately attainable of the two midfield targets as Carrick looks to reshape his squad.