Manchester United are pretty much done with their first piece of business this summer. Andrey Santos met with Michael Carrick on Friday morning before going through his medical and handling media obligations at Carrington. The official announcement is expected later in the day.
This came together fast. United had been chasing Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali, and Mateus Fernandes earlier in the window. All three fell through — mostly because the asking prices were too steep for INEOS. So they pivoted to Santos, who had been at Chelsea but never really got a run there. The Brazilian heads to United for a fee that the club’s hierarchy feels pretty good about.
What Carrick Wants in His Midfield
Carrick has been clear all along that he wanted to overhaul the middle of the park. Santos fits the profile — 22 years old, technically clean, aggressive off the ball. He’s got 15 caps for Brazil already and spent last season on loan at Strasbourg, where he looked like a player who needed a real home. United is betting that home is Old Trafford.
According to Sully, a source with a solid track record on United moves, Santos met with his new head coach in person and then went through the usual media rigmarole. The deal is a five-year contract with a club option for an extra season. That’s fairly standard now for United — protects them if things don’t work out, gives them leverage if he blows up.
Santos’s medical went smoothly, which is more than you can say for another Brazilian midfielder the club is trying to bring in.
The Ederson Situation Is Still Weird
Atalanta’s Ederson is currently in Manchester undergoing a more thorough medical than the one he did in the States. United flagged some issues during that first round of tests after the World Club Cup — hence the redo. There’s a real chance this deal stalls or falls apart entirely. If it does, Carrick wants at least one more midfielder on top of Santos. Maybe two.
Meanwhile, United also has Karl Darlow coming in as a backup goalkeeper behind Senne Lammens. That one is close to being finalized too.
Pre-season training started with a bunch of senior guys already at Carrington — Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Mason Mount among them. So the squad is starting to take shape, even if the Ederson situation keeps everyone guessing.
For now, Santos is the headline. The kid is finally getting his move out of Chelsea purgatory. Whether Carrick turns him into a genuine Premier League midfielder or just another name on the depth chart is the part we don’t know yet.
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