Manchester United have completed the signing of Brazil international Andrey Santos from Chelsea, the club announced on Monday. The 22-year-old midfielder has signed a contract until June 2031, with an option for a further year, in a deal worth an initial £48 million plus £2 million in performance-related add-ons. Santos, who made 43 appearances for Chelsea last season and was part of their Club World Cup-winning squad, fills the void left by Casemiro’s departure and Manuel Ugarte’s long-term knee injury. “Everything about Manchester United is special,” Santos said, adding that working under Michael Carrick was a key factor in his decision.

The move is the first piece of a major midfield overhaul at Old Trafford. United had agreed a £35 million fee with Atalanta for Brazilian Ederson, but the transfer was scrapped after a medical revealed an injury concern. The club swiftly turned to Aston Villa’s Youri Tielemans, activating a release clause in the region of £35 million. The 29-year-old Belgium captain, who scored in Villa’s Europa League final victory and was their player of the year in 2024-25, is expected to undergo a medical on Tuesday. Tielemans missed Belgium’s World Cup quarter-final defeat to Spain after injuring himself in the warm-up.

Viewed from São Paulo, the Santos deal represents a homecoming of sorts for a player who began his career at Vasco da Gama and had loan spells at Nottingham Forest and Strasbourg before establishing himself at Stamford Bridge. Brazilian media highlight the €56 million fee and the 10 per cent sell-on clause retained by Chelsea. In London, analysts note the strategic pivot from Ederson to Tielemans as a pragmatic response to an unexpected medical setback, with United’s director of football Jason Wilcox describing Santos as “an outstanding midfielder with excellent technical qualities.”

Santos has already joined pre-season training and could make his debut against Wrexham later this month. Tielemans’ arrival would add further experience to a midfield that currently relies heavily on Kobbie Mainoo. United remain in the market for additional reinforcements, with a full-back and a left-winger also on their agenda, as they seek to rebuild after a season that fell short of expectations.