Man United agree £50m deal for Chelsea star

Manchester United visit newly-promoted Hull City on the opening weekend of the upcoming Premier League season.

The Red Devils started last term dismally but improved drastically following Michael Carrick’s appointment as caretaker head coach in January and ultimately finished third in the top flight table.

That means United will compete in the Champions League this term, with Carrick still in charge following his permanent appointment in May.

Ahead of the start of the new season, it appears that Manchester United are closing in on the signing of a midfielder from one of their fiercest rivals.

As per The Athletic’s David Ornstein, the Red Devils have reach an agreement to sign midfielder Andrey Santos from Chelsea for an initial fee of almost £50 million.

The report claims that United will pay a fee of £48 million to sign Santos, with a further £2 million in easily achievable add-ons, making the likely total cost £50 million.

Santos looks set to join Manchester United (Photo: Sportimage Ltd/Alamy)

Chelsea will also include a 10% sell-on clause in the deal, Ornstein claims, with Santos set to undergo a medical ahead of his proposed move to Old Trafford.

Santos, 22, is said to have already agreed personal terms with Man United, making a deal look almost certain.

Having joined Chelsea from Brazilian side Vasco da Gama in 2023, the midfielder has since had loan spells with his former club, as well as Nottingham Forest and French outfit Strasbourg.

In total he has played 47 times for the west London club, but he struggled to establish himself as a regular starter for the Blues and started just 13 Premier League games last term.

Santos will become the latest in a string of players to have moved from Stamford Bridge to Old Trafford, including Juan Mata, Nemanja Matic and, more recently, Mason Mount.