Santos joins Manchester United in £48m deal as Carrick reshapes midfield

Manchester United confirmed the £48 million acquisition of Brazilian defensive midfielder Andrey Santos as their first signing of the summer transfer window. The move brought the 22-year-old to Old Trafford from Chelsea.

The club subsequently added two more midfielders—Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba—as part of a comprehensive overhaul of the department.

Santos’ pre-season role and competitive debut

Santos featured regularly in Michael Carrick’s pre-season starting XI, partnering with Mason Mount before Mount’s injury sidelined him.

His official Premier League debut came in United’s opening match—a defeat at Hull City—where his performance was described as forgettable.

Carrick opted to start Tielemans in the next fixture despite a similarly underwhelming display, while Santos was omitted in favour of Kobbie Mainoo.

With Baleba nearing a return to full fitness, Santos faces increasing competition for minutes.

Cunha’s public endorsement of Santos

Teammate Matheus Cunha, 27, expressed strong confidence in Santos’ potential during an interview with the Sky Sports Premier League YouTube channel.

“Andre Santos will be a breakout star this season. Fact, this guy is a very good player,” Cunha said.

“This is, I feel, good for him. We don’t need to put so much pressure on him to develop, but I know him from the national team and then all the skills he has. He’s an amazing guy, so lovely, and yeah, I think that will be a fact. He will surprise many eyes this year.”

Cunha also recounted how Santos reacted upon learning of the transfer opportunity, describing him as “so excited to come” after receiving a message from Cunha during the World Cup cycle. The forward noted they had maintained contact while Santos was close to finalising the move.

“I was in the World Cup and then he was nearly there, and yeah, we kept talking. Then I sent him a message and, yeah, when he was so close, wow, he was so excited to come. And then I think, like, inside of him, this kind of link-up with the club started to fire him inside.”

“He’s a very clever guy, but I think he needs to come for him to say, like, ‘Is he helping me or not?’ But I try to be me, and then he has everything that he needs around.”

Tactical positioning and seasonal outlook

At present, Mainoo, Baleba, and Tielemans are positioned ahead of Santos in the midfield hierarchy.

Carrick is expected to deploy Baleba and Mainoo as a complementary playmaker-enforcer pairing, while Tielemans appears likely to serve as the primary midfield substitute.

United aim to compete across all competitions and target approximately 60 matches this season. Success in multiple tournaments would increase playing time opportunities for Santos, alongside variables such as injuries and fixture congestion.

His immediate focus remains on refining his technical abilities and internalising his responsibilities within Carrick’s tactical structure while awaiting chances to feature.