You knew, eventually, Manchester United were going to spend some money, and eventually, get their summer transfer window going. It has finally happened now, here in mid-July. Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos is set for his medical evaluation, ahead of his £50m transfer to United.
That is according to a report exclusively in The Athletic/New York Times:
🚨 EXCL: Manchester United reach agreement with Chelsea to sign Andrey Santos. Deal for 22yo #CFC midfielder worth £48m + £2m easily achievable add-ons & 10% sell-on clause. Permission given to undergo #MUFC medical; personal terms in place @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/TY4qfwhHT4
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) July 8, 2026
Santos, who is below both Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez in the Blues pecking order, would get a fresh start at a place where he could become a first team regular. The transfer fee is understood to be around £50 million, with 48m of it up front, and the other 2, obviously connected to performance-based add-ons.
It’s signficantly more than the £39m United are paying for Atalanta midfield man Ederson, and we’re still awaiting on the official announcement of that.
So Santos would be midfield signing number two of the summer, and it is thought that Old Trafford are looking to add a third midfielder before the summer window closes.
They missed out on/weren’t willing to pay enough for Mateus Fernandes and Elliot Anderson, so they are running through their list of targets now. With Casemiro departing (and joining Inter Miami), the middle of the park was going to be the first position group addressed.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.