Manchester United are close to finalising their second deal of the transfer window, with Andrey Santos arriving from Chelsea.
After conceding the race to sign Elliot Anderson and Mateus Fernandes, Man Utd have agreed a deal to sign Andrey Santos from Chelsea.
Worth an initial £48m, Santos is likely to join Ederson as Michael Carrick’s side prepare to return for pre-season.
So, is Andrey Santos good? It depends on Man Utd doing a deal in the future so as to avoid one scenario.
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Is Andrey Santos good?
The question “Is Andrey Santos good?” is a simple one, but the answer to that question needs some context.
For starters, he might be Chelsea’s backup midfielder, but how many midfielders in world football would start regularly over Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo?
In fact, the one season Santos was a regular, it was for Strasbourg in Ligue 1 in 2024/25, when he scored ten goals from midfield and became their captain despite being just 20 and a loanee.
United are banking on the fact that Santos is a victim of Chelsea’s policy of hoarding youngsters with vast untapped potential, of which Santos is one.
Therefore, yes, Santos is an extremely exciting player with a high ceiling who hasn’t been empowered at Chelsea.
Having said that, there is something to note, which is unique to the current circumstances at Old Trafford.
Santos can’t be the saviour of Man Utd
Santos is a good player with the potential to be an amazing one, but how good he looks at United depends on the signing of a third midfielder.
Pick your DREAM summer midfield rebuild within the reported budgets…
Who is the first name you want?
Ederson and Santos are different profiles, but neither is a player who can be plugged into the first XI of Man Utd, and he’ll immediately raise the ceiling.
If anything, putting that kind of pressure on the player will result in a Rasmus Hojlund situation, a scenario which Man Utd must avoid.
Santos’ position is also such that any mistake will be fatal for his team’s chances, so it’s even more important that United buy a third midfielder who is established and can take the pressure off him.
United have bought a project player who has shown signs of world-class potential. Now, it is their responsibility to nurture him to reach those levels.
It starts with getting a player who can start ahead of him every week and allow him to develop away from the spotlight.
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