Andrey Santos: Man United’s newest recruit exactly what midfield needs

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The Peoples Person

11 July 2026

This summer has not been the easiest for

Manchester United

fans so far.

After qualifying for the Champions League and finishing the league campaign with six wins from seven, optimism was high entering the summer window.

Big midfield signings were promised, but Manchester United’s midfield chase has been a bit of a disaster so far. Fans have had to watch the likes of Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali and Matheus Fernandes move to Premier League rivals in spite of lengthy pursuits.

The news also broke this week that long-term target

Aurelien Tchouameni

signed a new deal with Real Madrid. What’s more, it appears that the Ederson deal has

collapsed at the medical stage

in spite of the club agreeing a fee last month for the

Brazilian

It does seem that

have finalised a deal for Chelsea midfielder

Andrey Santos

and have also been linked to numerous others such as

Manu Kone

Alex Scott

and

Joao Gomes

. Nonetheless, numerous fans online have questioned a move for Santos and the price of £50 million that was agreed.

Nonetheless, this is not the fan environment that a new signing should have to come into.

Supporters have every right to their own viewpoint, but Senne Lammens was heavily unfancied as numerous followers of the club claimed Emiliano Martinez was the better choice, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Manchester United have also seen numerous big names fail over the years when they have ignored fit and focused more on reputation and price tag. Paul Pogba is a clear example of this failed strategy in the past.

Fans have been calling on the club’s recruitment team to make smart moves in the market and this feels like exactly that.

Santos

may not be the most glamorous name, but he is clearly a very talented player.

Before moving to Chelsea, he was one of the most highly rated players in South America. What’s more, Chelsea have a history of letting go of young talent far too early. Just ask Mohamed Salah, Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku, to name a few.

Another key factor, probably the most important, is that Santos fits Manchester United’s needs like a glove.

During his time in France, on loan at Strasbourg, he scored over 10 goals and was praised for his “excellent” ability to arrive “into the box with late runs from deep, unmarked, making him a good passing option for his teammates in the final third.”

He will also add a calmness and ability to resist the press, similar to Kobbie Mainoo.

The Athletic

argue, “he’s a good one-touch passer and doesn’t get flustered with a defender breathing down his neck.”

Santos would not only bring goals but also passing from deep.

often struggled with Casemiro’s passing in recent years, but Santos is certainly tidier on the ball.

Furthermore, Santos averaged

15 line breaking passes

per 90 minutes in the Premier League last year. The 22-year-old can play as a number six or a box-to-box midfielder and “offers a secure defensive presence in matches”.

He will bring significantly more mobility than Casemiro when in the line-up and effectiveness in winning duels, with an impressive

67.8% won

last season.

Another crucial factor is that the player wanted

and only

. The reality is fellow midfield targets Tonali and Fernandes were happy to play elsewhere, and Elliot Anderson seemed to have little desire to pull on the red shirt of

Santos reportedly ignored

interest from Newcastle

and it was his desire to play for the club that encouraged Ineos to move quickly.

fans have seen the benefit of players who are desperate to play for the club, such as Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha.

Finally, the youngster is also Premier League proven. This is something that is very important to the club’s modern transfer strategy, as he should, theoretically, be able to adjust to the rigours of the league seamlessly.

All in all, Santos is not the marquee midfielder to replace Casemiro. In fact, with the likely collapse of the Ederson deal, he may be the third midfield man brought into the squad. He is also a youngster who will need time to adapt. Therefore, fans should support him like any new signing and wait and see what he can produce before assuming he is not what the club needs owing to his lack of name recognition.

Feature image Eddie Keogh via Getty Images

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