Manchester United can give Andrey Santos what Chelsea couldn’t – they’ve got a ‘proper bargain’
Manchester United’s summer transfer window cranked up a gear or two this week, with three first-team signings arriving at Old Trafford. The first new face to join United, preceding Karl Darlow and Youri Tielemans, was midfielder Andrey Santos. At £50m, Santos represents the Reds’ most expensive signing of the window so far.
The 22-year-old signed for Chelsea in January 2023 before concluding the season with his boyhood club Vasco da Gama. Once he eventually moved to England, Chelsea opted to loan him to fellow Premier League side Nottingham Forest. Unfortunately for Santos, the switch proved to be unsuccessful, making just two appearances for the East Midlands club.
Then Forest manager Steve Cooper excused this bad loan spell, suggesting that players of Santos’ age would struggle to get regular minutes anywhere in the Premier League. The fact he was not their player, only compounded the issue.
He would return to Stamford Bridge in January 2024 and embark on a more impressive loan at Chelsea’s affiliate club Strasbourg. After finding his feet in the second half of the season in France, Santos pushed on in the 2024/25 campaign. He scored ten goals in 32 Ligue 1 appearances, even wearing the captain’s armband on a handful of occasions.
“Santos is a really talented footballer – we saw that loads during his season on loan with Strasbourg,” Football.London’s Chelsea reporter Bobby Vincent told MEN Sport. “During his time in France, he spent the majority of it as a No.10 or advanced No.8, who looked to crash the box.”
This form caught the eye of Chelsea and dismissed any worries that emerged from the Forest stint. They opted to bring him back for the 2025/26 campaign. However, the return to Stamford Bridge did not go according to plan.
“At Chelsea, he was used in a deeper role and that never really suited his game,” Vincent added. “The chaos at Stamford Bridge didn’t help either, and Santos found it difficult to settle in last season.
“Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez are Chelsea’s best two midfielders and, unfortunately for Santos, he was unable to convince either of the three head coaches last season that he should be ahead of them.”
The midfielder would make just 27 Premier League appearances for the London club. Santos only completed 90 minutes on four occasions, and the last of those saw him score his only league goal in the 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur.
After another frustrating season, Santos was left considering his options and, according to Vincent, United could offer him something that Chelsea simply couldn’t. “Santos told Chelsea he wanted regular first-team football and the Blues were not prepared to offer him that given what they have in that position at the moment,” he said.
“Also, with no European football, minutes for fringe players will be more difficult to come by next season at Stamford Bridge.”
With Santos eager to play more regularly and the Reds offering £50m for his services, the deal was done. Since then, neither United nor Chelsea fans have worked out how to feel about the transfer. But Vincent was quick to offer United supporters who are on the fence reason to be optimistic.
He explained: “Santos has the potential to become a better player than Caicedo and Fernandez in the future but last season it made more sense to give them more minutes on the pitch. The fee has split many Chelsea fans.
“Some see him as a really bright talent with a sky-high ceiling, while others think he struggled last season and the club were right to cash in. I lean more towards the former.
“I think Santos can become a top-class central midfielder in the future and while £50m might seem a lot, is it actually given some of the prices we’ve seen this summer for players in similar positions?”
“Some (Chelsea fans) are (frustrated), yeah, because of what I just said,” Vincent continued. “He has the potential to become a really good central midfielder.
“Also, because they’re selling to a direct Premier League rival, this move definitely has the potential to bite them in the future. If Santos lives up to his full potential, Manchester United have got themselves a proper bargain.”
