United's Midfield Scramble Continues: Santos Pursuit Draws Mockery as Alternatives Prove Out of Reach

Erik ten Hag's Manchester United continue their summer search for midfield reinforcements with a move for Chelsea's Andrey Santos, a 22-year-old Brazilian international who has drawn considerable scepticism from the English press.

The Red Devils have already secured a deal for Atalanta's Ederson Silva, pending the completion of his medical, but with Casemiro departed and Manuel Ugarte sidelined by long-term injury, Champions League football next season demands further additions to that department. The problem, however, lies in the eye-watering fees demanded for established alternatives.

The Targets That Got Away

Elliott Anderson's switch to Manchester City from Nottingham Forest came at £116 million. Tottenham's acquisitions of Sandro Tonali from Newcastle (£100m) and Mateus Fernandes from West Ham (£85m) have priced those particular routes beyond United's appetite. The club had explored each option but deemed the overall outlay prohibitive.

Enter Andrey Santos, a midfielder United first made contact with back in February and March of last season. Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano has confirmed two separate meetings between United's representatives and Santos's agent, Giuliano Bertolucci, with positive signals emerging from those discussions. Christopher Vivell, now part of United's management structure following his Chelsea tenure, is understood to know the player well. Romano notes that whilst United have not yet tabled an official bid, Santos remains firmly on their shortlist.

The Journalist's Verdict

The Sun's Manchester United correspondent Samuel Luckhurst has launched a withering critique of the pursuit, penning a column that manages to be both damning and darkly humorous in equal measure. Luckhurst sarcastically suggests United might as well target Santos's Chelsea teammate Romeo Lavia next—another 22-year-old midfielder, also a reserve, also fitting the club's preferred recruitment age bracket of 22 to 26.

Lavia, a Belgian defensive midfielder, has managed just 43 appearances for Chelsea since arriving in 2023, his impact hampered by persistent injury troubles and limited opportunities. Luckhurst's point is clear: if United are going to chase second-string Chelsea midfielders, why not simply work through them systematically?

The journalist's broader argument cuts deeper still. A search of the most valuable Premier League-based central midfielders within United's target age range throws up considerably more accomplished names: Moisés Caicedo, Enzo Fernández, Ryan Gravenberch, Sandro Tonali, Elliott Anderson, Adam Wharton, Carlos Baleba, Alex Scott, James Garner, and Amadou Onana all rank above Santos in market valuation. Caicedo and Fernández are deemed untouchable; Gravenberch, despite ten Hag's prior Ajax connection, remains at Liverpool; the Tonali and Anderson moves have already happened; Wharton, Baleba and Scott carry prohibitive price tags; Garner recently signed a new contract; and Onana was previously considered by United's previous regime.

A Curious Fit

Luckhurst further contends that Santos appears more naturally suited to Newcastle United—currently 12th in the table—than to a United side whose players have been publicly discussing championship ambitions. Drawing a comparison to Nemanja Matic, whom United signed from Chelsea nine years ago after he'd just won the Premier League title, Luckhurst notes the fundamental difference: Matic was recognisable. Santos, by contrast, remains virtually unknown to the average supporter walking down Deansgate.

There's palpable unease within Old Trafford over this particular transfer narrative, suggesting United are working through increasingly thin options as the window progresses.