Manchester United seal £50m Andrey Santos signing from Chelsea to bolster midfield

Manchester United have confirmed the £50 million signing of Andrey Santos from Chelsea, with the Brazilian midfielder putting pen to paper on a long-term contract after completing his medical in Manchester last week.

The deal represents a significant piece of business for manager Michael Carrick as he looks to reshape United’s midfield ahead of the new Premier League season. Santos made 43 appearances for Chelsea across all competitions last season and arrives at Old Trafford with immediate first-team expectations.

The move comes as United navigate a complicated summer in the engine room. Casemiro departed at the end of last month when his contract expired, while Manuel Ugarte suffered a serious knee injury representing Uruguay at the World Cup, leaving Carrick short of options in central midfield.

A separate deal to sign Atalanta’s Ederson — for an agreed fee of £38.8 million — has reportedly fallen through, making the Santos acquisition all the more pressing. United are now said to be pursuing Aston Villa’s Youri Tielemans as an additional midfield reinforcement, with the Belgian understood to have a £35 million release clause in his contract at Villa Park.

Santos, who was not selected in Brazil’s World Cup squad this summer, is expected to join Carrick’s group for the start of pre-season training as United look to build on last season’s campaign.