Manchester United's Interest in Andrey Santos: Chelsea's Price Revealed
Manchester United’s summer has been long on rumours and short on signatures. No unveiling, no scarf-above-the-head moment, just a slow grind of calls, meetings and medical hold‑ups.
There is an agreement in place with Atalanta for Ederson, but even that deal has stalled while United push for extra medical checks. Casemiro has gone, a sizeable hole sits in the middle of the pitch, and Michael Carrick knows his squad needs more than one new face before the window closes.
So United have started knocking on doors. One of them belongs to Andrey Santos.
United call Santos’ camp
According to Fabrizio Romano, United have renewed their interest in the Chelsea midfielder, sounding out his camp over a possible move this summer.
“Man Utd already a few months ago were considering Andrey Santos,” Romano said on his YouTube show. “He’s always been on shortlist. What happened in the last two or three days is that Manchester United made contact again with the agent of the player.
“So, Manchester United made a call to the agents of Andrey Santos to understand his situation. At the moment, as of this week, Manchester United have not gone back to Chelsea with an official bid or official proposal. So, we have to talk about the contract on the player side.”
The message is clear: this is still at the exploratory stage. No bid, no formal proposal, but a concrete check on what it would take to prise him away from Stamford Bridge.
That is where the story gets interesting for United.
Chelsea open to a sale – at a price
Romano’s information points to a crucial shift in Chelsea’s stance. Santos is admired, but he is not ring‑fenced.
“What I can add to this story is that Chelsea don’t consider Andrey Santos untouchable,” Romano explained. “So if Manchester United arrive and put good money on the table, Man Utd can sign Andrey Santos, because Chelsea don’t consider him untouchable, and there is the possibility of an exit in the summer in case of the arrival of a good proposal.
“Obviously, not for normal money, not for cheap money, forget about loans or this kind of stuff, but in case of good proposal, there is a chance for him to leave for a new chapter at Manchester United or anywhere else.”
Chelsea, who signed Santos for around £10million, are now in position to demand a fee north of £50m. Given his age and profile, that kind of number would represent a major profit and another example of how aggressively they are prepared to trade their assets.
For United, it would be a significant outlay on a player still establishing himself in the Premier League. For Chelsea, it would be a clean, lucrative exit in a congested midfield department.
A box-to-box weapon on the rise
Santos is only 22 but has already squeezed plenty into his short career. He has 28 Premier League appearances to his name and has had to bide his time behind marquee arrivals Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, waiting for his chance in a crowded engine room.
A loan spell with Strasbourg in 2024 sharpened his reputation. A scouting report from ScoutingStats after that stint painted the picture of a midfielder who does not just tick boxes, he breaks them.
“One of Santos’s standout attributes is his remarkable goal-scoring ability for a midfielder,” the report noted. “His 100th percentile rating in goal threat highlights his knack for getting into scoring positions and converting chances effectively.”
That is not a luxury trait for United; it is a need. They have lacked a true box-to-box presence who can crash the box, arrive late, and finish moves with conviction.
The same report underlined his work without the ball.
“Santos’s high percentile ratings in both ball recovery and retention indicate his knack for reclaiming possession and maintaining it under pressure. His 94th percentile in ball recovery reflects his ability to disrupt opposition play, ensuring that his defensive contributions are as consistent as his offensive ones. These strengths, combined with his effectiveness in retaining possession, make him a balanced, box-to-box midfielder who can dominate both sides of the pitch.”
In one profile, you find energy, goals, pressing, and ball security. That is the template of the modern Premier League midfielder, and exactly the kind of all‑court presence United have lacked since Casemiro’s form dipped and his time at Old Trafford ended.
A quiet window that needs noise
Behind the scenes, United insist the work is constant. The World Cup has complicated availability, medicals, and timelines, but the optics are unavoidable: rivals are moving, and Old Trafford is waiting.
The Ederson deal hangs in the balance of medical paperwork. The search for Casemiro’s successor remains open. Other areas of the squad still need depth and quality. And now, the possibility of Santos has moved from fantasy to something more tangible, if not yet imminent.
Chelsea have effectively drawn the lines: no loans, no discounts, no casual haggling. Bring “good money” or look elsewhere.
United have made the first call. The next one will decide whether Andrey Santos becomes the heartbeat of a new-look midfield, or just another name on a long, restless shortlist.
