Man Utd to beat Man City and three other Premier League clubs to £50m signing after ‘enquiries made’

Manchester United have reportedly fended off interest from four Premier League clubs, including rivals Manchester City, to win the race for Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos.

The Red Devils have prioritised midfield reinforcements this summer following the departure of Casemiro upon the expiration of his contract last month.

A deal for Casemiro’s Brazil teammate Ederson from Atlanta BC appears to have fallen through, but a move for compatriot Santos has gathered pace over the last week.

Man United have allegedly reached an agreement with Chelsea to sign the 22-year-old for an initial £48m plus £2m in add-ons, while the Blues are set to retain a 10% sell-on clause.

Santos, who has completed his Red Devils medical, is soon set to finalise his move to Old Trafford despite interest from a number of other English clubs.

Man City, Villa, Newcastle, Spurs all expressed interest in Man Utd-bound Santos

According to TEAMtalk, Man City, Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur all made recent enquiries for Santos before Man United reached an agreement with Chelsea.

Man City are said to have explored a proposed deal for Santos during compensation negotiations with Chelsea before manager Enzo Maresca completed his move to the Etihad Stadium.

The Citizens ultimately decided against progressing their interest beyond initial enquiries and have since spent a club-record £116m on Man United target Elliot Anderson.

As for Aston Villa, they identified Santos as a potential target following the news that Amadou Onana is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines with an ACL injury picked up with Belgium at the 2026 World Cup.

Newcastle also assessed a move for Santos following the £100m sale of Sandro Tonali to Tottenham, with the Brazilian viewed as a player capable of fitting seamlessly into Eddie Howe’s system.

Spurs are another club who enquired about Santos before switching their full attention towards Tonali and Mateus Fernandes, while Saudi Pro League sides also expressed a strong interest before Man United stepped up their pursuit.

Santos set to become Carrick’s first Man Utd signing

Santos is expected to become Man United’s first signing of the summer transfer window and the club’s first new arrival under new permanent head coach Michael Carrick.

The former Nottingham Forest and Strasbourg loanee has played 47 times for Chelsea in all competitions since moving to Stamford Bridge from Vasco da Gama in 2023.

Santos, who won the FIFA Club World Cup with Chelsea in 2025 under Maresca, played regularly for the Blues last season, featuring in 27 Premier League games and six matches in the Champions League, chipping in with three goals and four assists.

Meanwhile, Man United are also closing in on the signing of experienced goalkeeper Karl Darlow from Leeds United.