Manchester United are set to make Andrey Santos the second signing of the 2026 summer transfer window, and here is everything you need to know about the Brazilian.
After missing out on Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali, Manchester United have struck back with the signing of Andrey Santos from Chelsea.
United have agreed to spend £48m on Santos, which is £37m cheaper than Fernandes went for, potentially for a much better player.
The Brazilian has incredibly high potential and will arrive at United just in time for pre-season to get underway. But who is the new signing, and what do you need to know?
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Who is Andrey Santos?
Known by his full name in Brazil, Andrey Nascimento dos Santos, is a 22-year-old central midfielder who was born in Rio de Janeiro in 2004.
He started his career at Vasco da Gama aged six, working his way up through the ranks before joining Chelsea for around £10m as an 18-year-old in 2023.
Santos then had a series of loans, first to Nottingham Forest and then to Strasbourg, excelling at the latter in his 18 months at the club, wearing the captain’s armband and excelling in France.
By earning the armband for Strasbourg, Santos has proved that he is a leader, and this is another positive to his signing this summer, perhaps an overlooked plus.
He therefore returned to Chelsea in 2025 to a lot of hype, which their model and bulky squad quickly killed as he sank in game time despite really impressing when he got the chance to play.
Potentially not signed as an immediate starter, Santos will compete for both midfield positions and likely interchange with Kobbie Mainoo throughout the season at United.
Santos is capped six times by Brazil, but missed out on the World Cup squad.
Which transfer targets do you NOT want Man Utd to sign?
Let's turn the transfer question on it's head, and give Jason Wilcox some advice…
Santos has been compared to Bruno Guimaraes and Casemiro
Santos is the perfect modern midfielder, strong with and without the ball, with qualities that could see him evolve into one of the best midfielders in the league in the next few years.
Brazilian football expert Filippo Silva compared Santos to two well-known Brazilian midfielders.
“I would not say the same level, but maybe a bit of a mix between Bruno Guimaraes and Casemiro.”
Carlo Ancelotti is also a fan of Santos, as he praised the 22-year-old after one of his appearances for Brazil.
United have been looking at Santos for much of 2026, and this is very much a target that Ineos wanted, not just panicked.
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