Manchester United have completed the signing of Andrey Santos from Chelsea in a deal worth £50m, made up of a guaranteed £48m plus around £2m in add-ons. Chelsea have kept a 10 per cent sell-on clause, meaning they will benefit if United later sell the player for a profit. The 22-year-old Brazil international has signed a five-year contract at Old Trafford, running until June 2031. The move, confirmed on 13 July 2026, is the first permanent addition of Michael Carrick's tenure as United manager, following his appointment after Ruben Amorim was sacked in January.
United's interest centres on Santos's ball-playing qualities from a holding midfield role. Last season he had the highest pass-completion rate and the most progressive passes per 90 minutes of any Premier League midfielder under the age of 22, figures that stood out to United's recruitment staff as they looked to add control in front of the back four. Director of football Jason Wilcox said Santos had been "a key target for us in an important position", adding the club were "delighted that he will join Michael's squad so early in pre-season". Santos himself said: "Everything about Manchester United is special; it is an incredible feeling to join a club that some of my biggest idols have represented."
For Chelsea, it means losing a player they invested in from a young age. Santos joined from Vasco da Gama in January 2023 and spent time out on loan to continue his development, including an 18-month spell at Strasbourg where he was named Ligue 1's Young Player of the Month in March 2024 and helped the French club qualify for the Conference League. He also had a loan spell at Nottingham Forest. Santos was part of the Chelsea squad that won the FIFA Club World Cup in the summer of 2025, and with Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez established in Chelsea's midfield, he had limited pathways to regular starts at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea thanked him for his efforts and wished him well for the next stage of his career.
Game time in his final season at Chelsea was mixed. Santos made 43 appearances across all competitions in 2025/26, scoring three goals and adding four assists, though only 13 of his 27 Premier League appearances came from the start. His lone Premier League goal arrived in a 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur on 19 May, which also brought his first assist of the campaign. At international level he has captained Brazil's under-20 side, leading them to the 2023 South American Under-20 Championship as joint-top scorer with six goals.
At United, Santos is expected to provide a base in central midfield that allows the team to build attacks with more control, rather than relying on his goal output. His age and contract length point to a long-term project under Carrick as the club reshapes its midfield following Amorim's departure, and his arrival so early in pre-season gives him time to settle before the new Premier League season begins.