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Analysis
- 11 minutes ago
What Man Utd can expect from 'best in the world' Andrey Santos
Updated: 9 Jul 2026 15:40 CDT |
4 min read
News
Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos is on the verge of joining Manchester United after a full agreement was struck on a €58 million (£50m) deal.
The Brazil international, who was harshly excluded from Carlo Ancelotti’s World Cup squad, will join compatriot Ederson at Old Trafford this summer, with Michael Carrick’s side moving quickly to finalise a deal after a serious knee injury suffered by Manuel Ugarte.
Santos was described as “the best player in the world” by Diego Moreira during his time on loan at Strasbourg, and while he failed to nail down a guaranteed starting XI place at Chelsea last season, he displayed glimpses of real promise.
Current ETV
Andrey Santos
M, DM (C)
Chelsea
Andrey Santos
M, DM (C)
Chelsea
ETV Range
€44.4M - €54.3M
His Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €49.3m suggests that Man Utd have paid slightly over-the-odds to sign him, but the fee is actually a major bargain when considering the prices that have been paid for Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes so far this summer.
Furthermore, Man Utd are signing a player with huge potential and one who could become a future star at Old Trafford.
What are Andrey Santos’ strengths?
Santos is able to play a multitude of midfield roles to an extremely standard and this versatility will no doubt have been attractive to Man Utd.
On loan at Strasbourg, the Brazilian was deployed in a box-to-box number eight role and he was tasked with providing goals from midfield, netting 10 in 32 Ligue 1 games. In this respect, he will go some way to replacing the attacking output that Man Utd will lose from Casemiro.
At Chelsea, however, he was often used as a defensive midfielder, which allowed Moises Caicedo to play in a slightly more advanced role.
In both positions, his short-range passing was a notable asset and his ability to break defensive lines is a huge positive. He is able to play in tight spaces extremely well, favouring shorter passes with team-mates to progress the ball, and his eye for goal is a trait that Man Utd should look to unlock.
Santos is also a leader and this is another aspect of his game that Chelsea somewhat neglected. While the language barrier may prevent him from becoming a huge voice in the Man Utd dressing room, Santos was a regular captain for the Brazil youth teams and this experience is something that could hugely benefit the Red Devils.
He is an extremely adept ball-winner and his defensive acumen is excellent too, and these are two qualities that Man Utd desperately need in a new midfielder following Casemiro’s departure.
What are Andrey Santos’ weaknesses?
While his short-range passing is crisp and progressive, Santos rarely plays long passes in behind opposition defences - with this responsibility falling more on Caicedo’s shoulders at Chelsea - and he is fairly similar to Kobbie Mainoo in this respect.
Another similarity to Mainoo is his poor mobility, and the impact this has on his ability to defend large spaces. Santos is fairly slow and asking him to defend transitions is a recipe for disaster. Playing him alongside Mainoo may therefore be an error, with Ederson a far more suitable partner for the Brazilian.
Furthermore, he fared better in Ligue 1 for Strasbourg than he did in the Premier League for Chelsea, and the emphasis on pace and power in the English top flight doesn’t suit his skillset as well as other European leagues would do.
STATS
Andrey Santos
M, DM (C)
Chelsea
Andrey Santos
M, DM (C)
Chelsea
Andrey Santos to Man Utd: A good signing?
Heading into this summer, Man Utd needed to sign at least two new central midfielders and they now need three after Ugarte’s injury.
Kobbie Mainoo is currently the only senior option available to Carrick, and signing both Santos and Ederson will go some way to fixing the Red Devils’ midfield woes.
A third option is still needed as they prepare for a gruelling Champions League campaign, but signing Ederson and Santos for less than €100m is excellent business considering that Fernandes, Tonali and Anderson all cost more on their own.
Santos isn’t perfect, however he is already an excellent midfielder and at 23 years old, he has plenty of time to develop too. All things considered, it could prove to be one of the most underrated signings that Man Utd have made in recent memory.
