Chelsea have agreed a £50 million deal to sell Andrey Santos to Manchester United, with the Brazilian midfielder set to undergo a medical at Old Trafford.
The Blues will receive £48 million up front from their Premier League rivals, with a further £2 million in add-ons described by sources as very achievable.
Santos has been granted permission to travel to Manchester to complete the formalities and finalise what will be a significant departure from Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea will also insert a 10 percent sell-on clause into Santos’ contract with Manchester United, giving them a financial stake in any future transfer.
The 22-year-old was in and out of the starting line-up at Chelsea last season, his first proper campaign with the club following a series of loan moves.
Santos originally joined Chelsea from Vasco da Gama in January 2023 for around £18 million, though he returned to the Brazilian club on loan shortly after signing.
He subsequently spent the 2024/25 season on loan at Nottingham Forest, but a lack of game time at the City Ground led Chelsea to recall him in January 2024, before a further loan spell at Strasbourg followed.
His time in France under Liam Rosenior was considered a success, raising expectations ahead of his integration into Chelsea’s first team under Xabi Alonso.
However, Santos informed Chelsea of his desire to leave due to concerns over first-team opportunities in Alonso’s debut season, with Moises Caicedo signing a new long-term contract playing a major role in his thinking.
Santos was also left out of Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil squad for the World Cup this summer, adding further motivation behind his decision to seek a fresh start elsewhere.
This deal marks Chelsea’s third notable departure of the summer transfer window, following Marc Cucurella’s move to Real Madrid for close to £52 million and Tyrique George’s £24 million switch to Everton.
Once the Santos transfer is officially concluded, Alonso’s Chelsea side will have generated approximately £126 million in total transfer fees this window.
The funds raised reflect a deliberate reshaping of the squad under the new head coach, who appears intent on streamlining his roster ahead of the new Premier League season.
Santos’ move to United represents a significant opportunity for the midfielder to revive his career and secure the regular first-team football he has been seeking.
