Journalist rips into INEOS before they ‘contact’ second ‘Chelsea reserve midfielder’

Journalist Samuel Luckhurst has ripped into Manchester United for trying to sign Andrey Santos and has mockingly tipped the club’s co-owners, INEOS, to contact another Chelsea midfielder, Romeo Lavia, next.

Man Utd already have a deal in place for Ederson Silvawho will join from Atalanta once he passes the second part of his medical.

Michael Carrick’s side, who will play in the Champions League next season, want to sign at least another midfielder, with Casemiro leaving and Manuel Ugarte injured for the long term.

Man Utd had interest in Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes, but the overall costs for the midfielders were prohibitive for the Red Devils.

Anderson joined Manchester City from Nottingham Forest for £116million.

Tottenham Hotspur paid £85m to West Ham United for Fernandes and £100m to Newcastle United for Sandro Tonali.

READ: Fabrizio Romano reveals Man Utd want €100m midfielder to take pay-cut to join after ‘contacts’

Man Utd trying to sign Andrey Santos

Man Utd are now trying to sign Chelsea midfielder Santoshaving made initial contact for the 22-year-old Brazil international midfielder midway through last season.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has said on his YouTube channel: “For Andrey Santos, they had a contact with the agent of the player, and it’s not the first contact because it’s something that started long time ago in February and in March.

“Man Utd had two meetings with Giuliano Bertolucci, the Brazilian agent who represents Andrey Santos, so there is a good feedback between Man Utd and Andrey Santos.

“He is a possibility.

“He’s a name that also Christopher Vivell, who was at Chelsea and then joined Manchester United management, knows very well.

READ MORE: Fabrizio Romano says £70m midfielder ‘super keen on joining Man Utd’

“So, for sure, he’s one of the names on the list.

“At the moment, Chelsea are yet to receive any bid for Manchester United.”

The Sun’s Manchester United Correspondent, Samuel Luckhursthas written a column about Man Utd’s current transfer targets.

The journalist has torn into Man Utd for trying to sign a second-string Chelsea player in Santos and has mockingly tipped them to try for his team-mate Romeo Lavia next.

Lavia has been on the books of Chelsea since 2023, but his impact at the London club has been minimal.

Injury issues and competition for places have restricted the 22-year-old Belgium international defensive midfielder to just 43 appearances for Chelsea so far in his career.

Man Utd mockingly tipped for Romeo Lavia move

Luckhurst wrote in The Sun: “Perhaps Manchester United will contact Romeo Lavia next.

“Lavia, like Andrey Santosis another Chelsea reserve midfielder aged between 22 and 26, United’s preferred age range.

“A search on Transfermarkt for the most valuable Premier League-based central midfielders aged between 22 and 26 throws up Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Ryan Gravenberch, Sandro Tonali, Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton, Carlos Baleba, Alex Scott, James Garner and Amadou Onana before Santos.

“Caicedo and Fernandez are non-starters and so is Gravenberch, at Liverpool and once of interest to Erik ten Hag, what with him being Dutch and playing for Ten Hag at Ajax.

“Sandro Tonali and Elliot Anderson have just moved for combined fees of £230million, United deem Wharton, Baleba and Scott to be overpriced, Garner signed a new contract in January and Onana was also considered by the old United regime.”

The Sun journalist, who has 678,000 followers on Xalso believes that Santos is more suited to Newcastle United than Man Utd.

Luckhurst fumed: “Nine years ago, United bought a midfielder from Chelsea who had just helped them win the Premier League title in Nemanja Matic.

“Matic was recognisable. If Andrey Santos walked down Deansgate the chances are no United fan would recognise him.

“One detects an undercurrent of embarrassment at United over the Santos story.

“He has also been linked with 12th-placed Newcastle, which seems a more logical fit than at a team whose players have talked up a possible championship challenge.”

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