Manchester United still haven’t announced a new midfielder, and the clock is ticking. Everyone at the club knew Casemiro was leaving this summer. The 34-year-old Brazilian was a free agent, he walked out the door, and INEOS has been scrambling ever since to find someone who can do what he did last season. The problem is, most of their top targets have already gone somewhere else.
United finished third in the Premier League largely because Casemiro was excellent. Without him, the middle of the park looks thin. That’s why the club prioritized signing a replacement. But Elliot Anderson went to Newcastle. Mateus Fernandes is off the table. And Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni, according to the latest buzz, isn’t leaving Spain this summer. So the list has gotten awfully short.
Now reports say United have turned to Chelsea’s Andrey Santos. The 22-year-old Brazilian came through Vasco da Gama before Chelsea bought him in January 2023. He spent time on loan back in Brazil, then at Nottingham Forest, and eventually landed at Strasbourg in France. That’s where he really popped. He was good enough that Chelsea brought him into the first team last season, and in a pretty miserable year for the London club, Santos was one of the few bright spots. He finished with three goals and four assists across 43 appearances, 25 of them starts.
Santos has been talked up as the natural heir to Casemiro in Brazil’s national team setup. But Paul Scholes isn’t buying it.
Scholes isn’t excited and he’s not hiding it
On The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, Scholes basically shrugged at the whole idea. I don’t think there’s going to be a lot of excitement about it is there? Put it that way.
He then asked the obvious question: Why are Chelsea selling him, a 22-year-old kid?
The implication is clear — if Chelsea is willing to move a young player who showed promise, maybe that player isn’t what United actually needs right now.
Scholes pointed out that Sandro Tonali is gone to Tottenham, and Bruno Guimarães, a player he rates, reportedly wants Arsenal. Then he tossed out Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton as a name worth considering. I suppose he could be a possibility. I think he’s still a good player and will be available at the right price. They’ve got to do something.
The former United midfielder also hinted that the club’s recruitment structure might be the real issue. He said the decisions are coming from the top, not necessarily from Michael Carrick or the coaching staff. And he worried that United might be buying Santos as a future sellable asset instead of a player who helps them win now. Manchester United buying players as a sell-on value? We need players for now. We’ve got the Champions League next year, we’ve got three games a week.
The upside nobody’s mentioning
To be fair, Santos has good close control, reads the game well, and works hard. He’s not a finished product. That could be a problem for a team that needs a starter immediately, or it could be smart business if he develops into exactly what United needs in a year or two. The club hasn’t confirmed anything yet, so for now it’s just speculation. But with the season approaching, they have to make a move soon.
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