news-engine

Manchester United sprung a surprise this summer by securing the services of Andrey Santos from Chelsea. The Brazilian midfielder was coming off a decent campaign with the Blues, but his move to Old Trafford certainly raised a lot of eyebrows. The Red Devils were expected to go all out in the transfer window in search of the perfect replacement for Casemiro. United had Elliot Anderson and Mateus Fernandes on their wish list, but ended up missing out on both. Instead, INEOS opted to invest in the relatively unproven Santos, who had registered three goals and four assists in 43 outings for the London giants last season. Andrey Santos Stats: 2025/26 | Competition | Appearances | Starts | Goals | Assists | Yellow Cards | Red Cards | Minutes Played | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Premier League | 27 | 13 | 1 | - | 4 | - | 1,255' | | UEFA Champions League | 6 | 3 | - | 2 | 2 | - | 306' | | EFL Cup | 5 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | - | 435' | | FA Cup | 5 | 4 | 1 | - | 1 | - | 414' | | Total | 43 | 25 | 3 | 4 | 8 | - | 2,410' | Source: Transfermarkt. The 22 year old matched the profile of talented young footballers with a high ceiling targeted by United of late. Santos was heavily involved with the first team during pre-season and left a lasting impression. Santos manages to impress in pre-season Santos was handed his debut in the first pre-season game of the summer, a 1-0 defeat to Wrexham. The Brazilian started the game and was replaced at half-time, but not before he had given fans a glimpse of his all-round abilities. Santos kept his place in Michael Carrick’s starting XI against Rosenborg in the following game, registering 61 minutes of action and helping secure a 5-0 win. The Brazilian also started the hard-fought 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid, displaying signs of a budding partnership with Mason Mount in the middle of the park. Santos kept his place in the starting XI against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Leeds United and AC Milan next and was consistently one of the better players on the pitch. While his efforts have already generated optimism among fans, not everyone is convinced by the young midfielder at the moment. However, United defender Harry Maguire certainly believes that the Red Devils have hit the jackpot with the Brazilian. Santos tipped to succeed at United Speaking to Stadium Astro, Maguire insisted that Santos has all the ingredients to be a hit at Old Trafford. He said: “Like you said, he’s 22 years old, but he plays with so much experience and he looks so comfortable and calm to play for this club.” “When you’ve obviously played for Chelsea, and then you come here. He’s got Premier League experience at such a young age. So I think he’ll have no doubts about whether he can adapt to this club and play at this club, he’s got everything to have an amazing career at this club, a long career at this club.” “He’s still really young. He’s going to improve. He’s going to progress. But even at this moment in time, I’m sure he’s going to be a huge asset for us this season and have a great season.” Final Thoughts Having started every game in pre-season, Santos is in line to keep his place in the team for the Premier League season opener against Hull City on Saturday, 22 August. Fans will now hope that the Brazilian can continue his impressive run with United and help start the 2026/27 campaign with a win. Feature image Michael Campanella via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social