Santos seals £50m Manchester United move after Chelsea blocked his path to regular football

Manchester United have agreed a deal worth up to £50million to sign Andrey Santos from Chelsea on a permanent basis, with the Brazilian midfielder travelling to Manchester on Thursday to undergo a medical ahead of completing the move.

The structure of the transfer includes a £48million initial fee plus £2million in add-ons, with a sell-on clause also agreed between the two clubs. Santos is set to become the first signing of Michael Carrick’s tenure as United manager, with Atalanta midfielder Ederson also expected to follow after a separate £38.8million package was agreed earlier in the window.

Santos made 43 appearances for Chelsea across all competitions last season, but struggled to cement a regular starting role at Stamford Bridge. Former Chelsea forward Joe Cole believes the 22-year-old’s move to Old Trafford offers him a far clearer route into the first team.

“The two positions he can play for Chelsea are taken by Caicedo and Enzo Fernandes,” Cole said. “He’s probably behind Romeo Lavia in the pecking order when he’s fit too. So it’s been very difficult for him to break in, but he’s been brilliant whenever he did play.”

Cole pointed to Casemiro’s exit from United as the key factor that makes the move attractive for Santos. “He’ll definitely get more game time at Manchester United with Casemiro out of the picture now,” he added. “I had hoped he’d stay at Chelsea but it’s a real good signing.”

Cole also acknowledged the financial logic for both clubs. “Finances have no doubt come into play. The fee definitely suits where both clubs are operating at the minute. He’s a very, very good player with massive promise. Granted, he’s not a Tonali at the moment, but he could improve into it.”

The finishing touches on the deal are expected to be completed in due course once Santos clears his medical.