Manchester United is about to pull off a midfield double that nobody saw coming a month ago. The club has wrapped up the signing of Andrey Santos from Chelsea for £48 million, and now they’re moving fast to trigger Youri Tielemans’ release clause at Aston Villa for around £35 million. That second deal is expected to go through soon, according to multiple reports.
Michael Carrick is remaking his midfield in a hurry, and Tielemans gives him an experienced, battle-tested leader. The Belgium captain won Villa’s player of the year award in 2024-25 and scored in their Europa League final win over Freiburg back in May. Losing him is a real gut punch for Unai Emery, especially with Amadou Onana already sidelined after tearing his ACL during Belgium’s World Cup run.
Villa isn’t exactly thrilled to lose Tielemans, but the finances might force their hand. They got him on a free from Leicester three years ago, so this sale would be pure profit under PSR rules. And they’re already lining up a replacement: Switzerland’s Johan Manzambi, who looked headed to Newcastle until Villa jumped in.
What happened with the Ederson deal
United had been planning to sign Atalanta’s Ederson for £35 million. They agreed on a fee, scheduled a medical in the U.S. during the World Cup, and everything was set. But Ederson got a late call-up to Brazil’s squad, and when they ran the medical stateside, something came up. They did a full workup this week after Brazil got knocked out, and the club decided not to proceed at the original price and terms.
Carrick’s staff hasn’t closed the door entirely on Ederson. But the pivot to Tielemans happened fast, and now the 29-year-old Belgian is set to be the second piece of this midfield rebuild while the Brazil international waits to see what happens next.
Santos is officially a Red Devil
The Santos deal is already done. The 22-year-old Brazilian signed a five-year contract and made it clear that Carrick himself was a big reason he chose United.
“As a midfielder, I am really excited to have the opportunity to learn from Michael Carrick. He is the perfect coach to help me take the next step in my career and push to achieve my dreams,” Santos said in the club’s announcement.
Club technical director Jason Wilcox called Santos “an outstanding midfielder” who can impact both ends of the pitch and still has room to grow. That’s the kind of bet United needs to hit on after years of misfires in the transfer market.
Between Santos, Tielemans, and the uncertainty around Ederson, Carrick is building a midfield that looks different from anything United has fielded in years. It might not be flashy, but it’s experienced and athletic. And after last season’s inconsistency, that sounds like a plan.
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