Man United close in on £50m Andrey Santos signing from Chelsea – but face Ederson decision despite agreeing fee with Atalanta for Brazil star

Manchester United are close to signing Andrey Santos for £50million after the Chelsea midfielder completed a medical – and are still considering whether to go through with a deal for his Brazilian compatriot Ederson.

Santos is set to become United’s first signing of the summer – and the club’s first under head coach Michael Carrick – before joining up with his new teammates for pre-season training at Carrington.

United have agreed a deal with Chelsea worth £48m, plus £2m in add-ons, and personal terms with Santos.

The 22-year-old’s medical is understood to have gone well, with club sources confident the move is close to completion.

United maintain that Santos is not being signed as an alternative to Ederson, and both transfers could go through if the Atalanta midfielder passes his medical.

United agreed a fee of £35m plus £3.8m in add-ons with the Italian club in June, but an initial medical check is said to have raised concerns over the 27-year-old while he was on international duty with Brazil at the World Cup.

Manchester United are close to signing Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos for £50million

United also agreed a fee for Brazil star Ederson, but must decide whether to complete the deal

United must decide whether to press ahead with the deal or pull the plug and go back into the transfer market for a replacement.

The club have embarked on a midfield rebuild this summer after Casemiro left as a free agent, and the prospect of Manuel Ugarte leaving Old Trafford faded after the Uruguayan suffered a serious knee injury at the World Cup which is likely to keep him out for much of next season.

Two of their top targets, Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson and Mateus Fernandes of West Ham, are joining Manchester City and Tottenham instead, while Aurelien Tchouameni has signed a new long-term contract with Real Madrid.

Even if Santos and Ederson both sign for United, the club would still like a third midfielder and Bournemouth’s Alex Scott remains a player of interest.

United would also like to bring in a left-back and left-sided attacker, and are close to signing Karl Darlow as a back-up goalkeeper.

Darlow, 35, left Leeds as a free agent at the end of June and is currently undergoing a medical.