United target Chelsea's Andrey Santos in £50m move as Bouaddi price tag soars

Manchester United are targeting Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos for around £50m as manager Michael Carrick looks to fill the void left by Casemiro’s departure, with the club also monitoring Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi despite warnings of an eye-watering asking price.

Santos emerges as priority target

According to The Guardian, United have turned their attention to the 22-year-old Brazilian after missing out on Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson and West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes, who completed moves to Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur respectively. Santos is said to be open to leaving Stamford Bridge in search of regular first-team football, having started just 13 of his 27 league appearances last season behind Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez in Chelsea’s pecking order.

Chelsea are reported to be willing to sell as they look to raise funds to support new manager Xabi Alonso’s own transfer plans. Santos joined the club in 2023 and carries a valuation of approximately £50m.

United have already agreed a deal to sign Atalanta midfielder Ederson, though his late call-up to the Brazil squad has complicated that transfer. The club are understood to be seeking at least two central midfielders ahead of their return to the Champions League.

Bouaddi price tag a significant hurdle

Lille president Olivier Letang has made clear that 18-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi will not come cheap, despite United, Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool all reportedly registering interest following his performances for Morocco.

“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.”

Letang declined to name a specific asking price but pointed to Anderson’s £116m valuation and Sandro Tonali’s proposed £100m move to Tottenham as reference points, signalling that any suitor would need to produce a comparable figure. That framing effectively prices Bouaddi beyond the range of most clubs in the current window and complicates United’s pursuit given their existing midfield spending commitments.