Man United agree £50m deal for Chelsea’s Andrey Santos

The fee is structured as an initial £48m, with a further £2m in add-ons, while Chelsea have negotiated a 10% sell-on clause. Santos, 22, has been given permission to undergo a medical.

Manchester United turned to Santos after their pursuit of Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson stalled over a fee in excess of £110m – Anderson has since completed a club-record £116m move to Manchester City – and after missing out on West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes, who joined Tottenham for a guaranteed £85m.

The signing addresses a pressing need in central midfield following veteran Casemiro’s departure at the end of his contract, and comes with Manuel Ugarte, who had been expected to leave, instead ruled out for an extended spell with cruciate knee ligament damage.

Santos made 28 Premier League appearances for Chelsea last season but faced an uncertain path to regular football after Moises Caicedo signed a contract extension to 2033, with Enzo Fernandez also expected to stay at Stamford Bridge. He joined Chelsea from Brazilian side Vasco da Gama and has previously had loan spells at Nottingham Forest and Chelsea’s sister club Strasbourg.

He is set to become Chelsea’s third significant departure of the window, following Marc Cucurella’s move to Real Madrid and Tyrique George’s exit to Everton, as the club begin life under new manager Xabi Alonso.

Santos will become United’s second signing of the summer following Ederson’s £35m move from Atalanta, with the Brazilian goalkeeper also due to complete his switch this week after his country’s World Cup exit. United are also weighing up a move for Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni, though there are doubts over whether new Real boss Jose Mourinho would sanction a sale.

United’s senior players return for pre-season training under Michael Carrick this week, with Kobbie Mainoo to follow once his World Cup involvement with England ends.