Chelsea reach £50m agreement with Man Utd for Andrey Santos as Xabi Alonso clear out continues
Andrey Santos is on his way out of Stamford Bridge after Chelsea reached an agreement with Manchester United over the transfer of the Brazilian midfielder
Andrey Santos is set to move to Manchester United(Image: Franco Arland)
Chelsea have reached a £50million agreement with Manchester United over the sale of Andrey Santos this summer.
The Blues will receive £48m as an up-front fee from their Premier League rivals as well as £2m in add-ons that have been described by sources as very achievable. Santos has been granted permission to travel to Manchester to complete a medical and finalise a move to Old Trafford.
The 22-year-old midfielder was in and out of the starting line-up at Chelsea last season in his first proper campaign with the club after multiple loan moves. The Blues will insert a 10% sell-on clause in Santos’ contract with Man United.
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The Brazil international, who was signed for around £18m from Vasco da Gama in 2023, informed Chelsea of his desire to move elsewhere due to concerns over the amount of first-team football on offer in Xabi Alonso’s debut season at Stamford Bridge. Moises Caicedo signing a new long-term contract with the club had a big impact on Santos and where he saw himself in the pecking order.
While Santos agreed to join Chelsea in January 2023, he returned to Vasco a couple of months later on a loan deal until the end of the 23/24 season. Santos then moved to Nottingham Forest for the 24/25 campaign but due to a lack of game time at the City Ground, the Brazilian, who was left out of Carlo Ancelotti’s World Cup squad this summer, was recalled by Chelsea in January 2024.
A loan switch to Strasbourg followed for the midfielder and it was a fantastic season in France under Liam Rosenior. There were high expectations for Santos the following season in Chelsea’s first team but he was in and out of the XI under the three head coaches at Stamford Bridge last term.
Santos is set to become Chelsea’s third official departure of the summer transfer window. Marc Cucurella joined Real Madrid in a deal worth close to £52m, while Tyrique George moved to Everton recently for a £24m package. Once United’s deal to sign Santos goes through, Alonso’s side will have received around £126m in total transfer fees.
