‘Open to Leaving’—Man Utd’s Midfield Answer Could Be at Chelsea

Manchester United’s search for a new central midfielder is reported to have turned to Chelsea’s Andrey Santos—with the Brazilian thought to be open to leaving Stamford Bridge.

It’s no secret that the Red Devils are looking to bolster their options in the middle of the park. In fact, it’s the only thing that’s really been discussed in United circles. though who the main target really is depends on where you look.

Elliot Anderson and Mateus Fernandes were on an extensive United shortlist, but they’ve gone on to join Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur respectively. Sandro Tonali also looks to be heading to north London to join Fernandes, while snagging Aurélien Tchouaméni away from Real Madrid could be overly ambitious.

The Guardian have thrown Santos’s name into the mix alongside Bournemouth’s rising star Alex Scott, suggesting the 22-year-old could be a disposable asset in west London as Chelsea plot how to reinvigorate their squad for new manager Xabi Alonso.

Is Santos a Smart Option for Man Utd?

Casemiro’s departure on a free transfer and Manuel Ugarte’s serious knee injury, sustained while playing for Uruguay at the 2026 World Cup, means United manager Michael Carrick is desperate for reinforcements to complement Kobbie Mainoo.

Santos is not overly experienced in England— a loan spell at Nottingham Forest did not work out at all—and he hasn’t been able to make the kind of impact at Chelsea that many thought he would. Moisés Caicedo and Enzo Fernández are firmly ahead of Santos in the pecking order, and with Fernández’s dream move to Real Madrid unlikely to come to fruition—despite his best efforts to head to the Bernabéu—it’s unlikely his game time will improve that much under Alonso.

27 Premier League appearances in 2025–26 yielded just 1,255 minutes of actual playing time—the equivalent of just under 14 full matches—so United’s interest in Santos would represent a bit of a punt. Crucially, though, he does have experience of playing in the Champions League, and is able to play both as a defensive-minded midfielder and as more of a traditional central or box-to-box midfielder.

Santos’s age profile would also align nicely with United’s core transfer strategy, which has targeted players who have a high ceiling of potential and may not yet be the finished article. Patrick Dorgu and Benjamin Šeško are perhaps two of the best examples of that—both are expected to contribute immediately, but their absolute best will come as they mature and become established Premier League players.

Andrey Santos’ 2025–26 Campaign in Numbers

*Premier League only (stats via FotMob)

Metric	Value
Appearance (Starts)	27 (13)
Goals / Expected Goals (xG)	1 / 2
Assists / Expected Assists (xA)	0 / 0.88
Completed Passes (%)	718 (90.1%)
Duels won (%)	75 (62%)
Touches in Opposition Box	20

Don’t Forget About Éderson

No, not former Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson, but the Atalanta central midfielder who has already agreed to move to Old Trafford for around £35 million ($46.8 million at current conversion). The only reason that deal has not been formally ratified is because the 26-year-old was a late call-up to Brazil’s roster for the 2026 World Cup—a party that Santos was not invited to by Carlo Ancelotti.

United can expect Éderson to be combative in midfield, covering every blade of grass, while also having the ability to play through the lines. He’s used to playing in a two-man midfield, albeit flanked by wing backs, and that experience should allow Carrick to continue utilizing his favored 4-2-3-1 formation that gets the most out of Bruno Fernandes.

Santos is of a similar mould, but whether or not Chelsea would want to deal with a direct rival remains to be seen. At the very least, a £50 million ($66.9 million) valuation is reported—a figure that would represent a significant profit on what was paid to Santos’s first club, Vasco de Gama, in 2023.

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