Andrey Santos is officially a Manchester United player. The deal is done. The medical is passed. And now Brazilian media are already slotting him into the starting eleven before he’s even held up the shirt.
United agreed to pay Chelsea £50 million for the 22-year-old midfielder, with £48 million guaranteed and another £2 million in add-ons. The Blues also secured a 10% sell-on clause before signing off on the transfer. Santos signed a five-year contract with an option for a sixth year after passing his medical at Carrington on Thursday with no issues.
This is a significant move for a guy who couldn’t quite break through at Chelsea. But in Brazil, they’re treating his arrival at Old Trafford as a homecoming of sorts for the Casemiro role.
What Brazilian Outlets Are Saying
Gazeta do Paraná called him one of the most promising Brazilian footballers currently playing in Europe. That kind of praise carries weight when it comes from home media who’ve watched him develop since his Vasco da Gama days.
Super Vasco didn’t mince words either. They said Santos arrives in Manchester with high expectations to take over the starting position and the spot left by fellow Brazilian Casemiro. That’s a direct line to the pressure he’ll face.
Trivela went further, framing him as a potential midfield protagonist for United. But they also raised an interesting point about how the midfield could shake out. With Santos, Ederson (who’s also been linked), Bruno Fernandes, and Kobbie Mainoo all in the picture, somebody might get squeezed.
“One of the situations to be addressed is the possible addition of Bruno Fernandes and another player, theoretically Ederson or Kobbie Mainoo,” Trivela wrote. “If this is the midfield, entirely Portuguese-speaking, it’s possible to say there’s a clear balance of characteristics. While Andrey tends to be the positional organiser, Ederson will be vital for pressing and covering long distances. Finally, Bruno is the decision-maker, one of the best in the world last season. A promising trio.”
Notice Mainoo is the odd man out in that scenario. That’s worth watching.
What United Are Getting
The scouting report on Santos is pretty straightforward. He’s a defensive midfielder who thrives on strong tackling, aerial dominance, and smart short passing. He controls tempo and shields the back line. That’s exactly what United’s midfield has lacked, especially as Casemiro has aged out of being a regular.
INEOS clearly bet on his tenacity and potential. And Santos should get the minutes he was looking for at Chelsea but couldn’t find. The expectation is that he grows into a regular starter alongside Mainoo, forming a young, athletic midfield pair that could lock down that area for years.
For a team that’s been searching for midfield stability since Casemiro’s decline, this feels like a calculated swing. Whether it works depends on how quickly Santos adapts to Premier League intensity and whether the midfield balance actually clicks.
But Brazilian media are already convinced. And in this case, they might be right.
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