Manchester City made Andrey Santos enquiry during Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea compensation talks | OneFootball

Manchester City made enquiries over Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos during the course of their compensation negotiations with the London club over Enzo Maresca’s move to the Etihad Stadium, as per a new report.

The revelation adds a striking new dimension to a saga that dominated much of June, with the compensation dispute between the two clubs – ultimately resolved through a confidential financial settlement – having clearly extended beyond purely managerial matters to encompass at least one player-related conversation in the background.

Andrey Santos had been among the most sought-after midfielders available from Chelsea this summer, with Manchester United, Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur all understood to have expressed interest in the 23-year-old before United moved decisively to wrap up a deal worth around £50 million.

Enzo Maresca had worked with Santos during his time at Stamford Bridge, with the manager understood to have been open to the possibility of a reunion – a personal connection that gave the enquiry a natural logic beyond City’s broader midfield recruitment priorities at this stage of the summer window.

Director of football Hugo Viana has been overseeing one of the most significant rebuilds in Manchester City’s recent history this summer, with the midfield position in particular subject to considerable activity following the departures of key senior figures and the arrival of Elliot Anderson as the window’s headline addition.

Report: Santos’ name raised in Man City-Chelsea compensation talks before United’s £50M swoop

According to Graeme Bailey of TEAMtalk, Santos’ name was raised during Manchester City’s compensation discussions with Chelsea, with City exploring whether there was any possibility of a deal and Maresca open to reuniting with the Brazilian – who the report notes he got the best out of during their time together in west London.

Ultimately, however, Manchester City decided not to progress their interest beyond initial enquiries, clearing the path for United to accelerate their pursuit and secure Santos’ signature ahead of a group of Premier League rivals whose interest had each stalled at a similar early stage.

The timing of City’s enquiry – embedded within legal and commercial discussions over the Maresca compensation settlement – speaks to the opportunistic nature of the approach, with the lines of communication already open between the two clubs presenting a natural moment to probe Chelsea’s position on a player they were willing to sell.

That City chose not to pursue Santos beyond that initial stage suggests either that the financial terms involved did not align with Viana’s assessment of value, or that the midfield additions already being prioritised at the Etihad Stadium were considered sufficient to meet Maresca’s requirements without committing further resource to the position.

What does City’s Santos enquiry reveal about their summer approach?

The episode is a revealing one in the context of City’s broader transfer strategy this summer, illustrating the degree to which Viana and Maresca have been willing to explore multiple avenues simultaneously even while committing the bulk of their energy and resource to the headline pursuit of Anderson from Nottingham Forest.

Santos’s profile – a dynamic, energetic Brazil international capable of operating across central midfield – would have addressed a similar gap in the squad to the one Anderson fills, and the Maresca connection gave the enquiry a personal dimension that made it worth pursuing even if the club’s primary focus lay elsewhere.

The fact that Maresca’s relationship with Chelsea generated at least one substantive football conversation during what was primarily a legal dispute is itself noteworthy, suggesting that despite the bitterness that characterised the public statements from both sides, a degree of practical cooperation was possible when it served the interests of both clubs.

Whether any further business between Manchester City and Chelsea materialises this summer – whether in the form of the Malo Gusto pursuit or something else entirely – remains to be seen, but the Santos episode confirms that the two clubs have been speaking rather more than their public communications would suggest.