Manchester United agree £50m deal for Chelsea’s Andrey Santos as midfield rebuild gathers pace | OneFootball

Manchester United have agreed a £50million deal to sign Andrey Santos from Chelsea.

The midfielder is set to undergo a medical with Manchester United after terms were agreed on a transfer that could reach £50m with add-ons. United will pay Chelsea an initial £48m fee, with a further £2m in achievable add-ons, and Chelsea retaining a 10% sell-on clause.

Santos is set to become the second signing of Manchester United's midfield rebuild. The Red Devils have agreed a deal to sign Ederson from Atalanta, for around £35m, and are now set to add the 27-year-old's international teammate.

The Athletic are reporting that Santos has already agreed personal terms and the deal will be finalised once a medical is completed.

Santos struggled for regular minutes at Chelsea last season, due to the presence of Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo in midfield. He made 13Premier League starts for the West Londoners in 2025/26 and has earned eight caps for Brazil.

Prior to last season, Santos shone on loan at Strasbourg in France. He scored 10 goals from central midfield during a productive campaign in Ligue 1.

Manchester United have turned to Santos after being priced out of deals for Mateus Fernandes and Elliot Anderson. The former joined Tottenham Hotspur from West Ham for £85m, with Nottingham Forest midfielder Anderson opting for Manchester City in a £116m English record deal.

Michael Carrick had made midfield additions the priority this summer, following Casemiro's exit from Old Trafford. Manuel Ugarte also sustained knee ligament damage while representing Uruguay at the 2026 World Cup.