Manchester United hasn’t officially announced Andrey Santos yet. But the Brazilian midfielder apparently didn’t wait for the press release.
Santos was spotted at Carrington on Saturday, a day after putting pen to paper on his contract. He didn’t train — that starts Monday, according to a social media post from Djamel, who’s been reliable on United matters. But he was there, meeting teammates and getting his bearings. The club’s formal announcement is still coming, but the 22-year-old is already in the building.
This all happened fast. INOS moved quickly on the deal after deciding Santos was the guy to eventually replace Casemiro. And the Brazilian national team’s coaching staff reportedly agrees. They see Santos as the natural successor to the five-time Champions League winner, which is a pretty strong endorsement for a kid who’s still only 22. Ederson was the other name floated, and Casemiro himself recommended him, but the Brazilian coaches apparently pushed for Santos instead.
Santos arrives from Chelsea, which is a weird sentence to type. But United got him on terms that left INOES feeling good about the price. The co-owners think they got a bargain given his ceiling. He’s already been assigned the No. 17 shirt, met manager Michael Carrick, and did his media obligations Friday before showing up to Carrington the next day just to be around.
Carrick still needs more bodies in midfield though. The Ederson deal didn’t pan out despite what some English media claimed. So United is looking at options. Manu Kone and Joao Gomes have been linked. Alex Scott and Carlos Baleba are still on the radar. At least two more signings are needed to really revamp that engine room.
For now though, Santos is the guy. He’s got the backing of Brazil’s coaches, the approval of United’s new ownership, and a head start on preseason. Not bad for a signing that hasn’t even been announced yet.
Feature image credit: Eddie Keogh via Getty Images
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