Man United agree deal for Chelsea midfielder Santos as second midfield signing

Manchester United have secured their second midfield reinforcement of the summer after reaching a full agreement with Chelsea for Brazilian midfielder Santos. According to insider of insider sources, the Red Devils will pay an initial €56.3 million for the 22-year-old, with a further €2.3 million in easily attainable add-ons. Chelsea have also negotiated a 10 percent sell-on clause as part of the deal. Personal terms between Santos and United have been settled, and the player is now set to undergo a medical before signing a five-year contract at Old Trafford. Santos becomes United’s second midfield acquisition after the imminent arrival of Ederson from Atalanta. The Brazil international was secured for a €45 million package last month, with the move originally scheduled to go through in July. That announcement was delayed after Ederson received a late call-up to Brazil’s World Cup squad, but with the Selecao now eliminated, he is free to join. United had made it clear from the start that they wanted at least two new midfielders this window, and that plan stayed intact even after Manuel Ugarte’s injury effectively ended any chance of offloading him this summer. Santos had been on United’s radar for some time. The club first floated his name during negotiations with Chelsea over Alejandro Garnacho last year, but at that stage the Blues were reluctant to let him go after a strong loan spell at sister club Strasbourg. However, Santos struggled to break into the Chelsea first team in 2025-26, unable to dislodge the established partnership of Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo. With Chelsea needing to balance the books after another significant financial loss, they have now accepted United’s offer. The move completes an all-Brazilian midfield overhaul for United this summer.