Manchester United newcomer Andrey Santos has already made a major impression on the coaching staff after just two weeks at Old Trafford, according to an inside source.
Midfield Maestro
Having missed out on primary targets such as Elliot Anderson and Mateus Fernandes, Manchester United reignited their pursuit of Santos after being rebuffed by Chelsea last summer.
While negotiating Alejandro Garnacho’s move to Stamford Bridge, INEOS had sought to include the 22-year-old Brazilian as part of the deal.
At that stage, Chelsea were adamant their “magnificent” midfielder was not for sale. Yet, 12 months later, this stance had softened as Santos was actively pushing to leave in search of more first-team opportunities, having struggled to break through ahead of the £100 million-plus pairing of Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez.
Sensing an opportunity to bank some much-needed profit on their £18 million investment in 2023, Chelsea signalled a willingness to negotiate with United, who had maintained contact with Santos’ camp.
Christopher Vivell, the recruitment director at Old Trafford who previously held a similar position in west London when the Rio de Janeiro native was signed from Vasco da Gama, is believed to have been influential in the pursuit.
On 14 July, just over two weeks after Fernandes had rejected United in favour of Tottenham Hotspur, a £50 million deal for Santos was officially announced. This was followed by the £35 million capture of Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa on the same day, meaning both were signed for the same price Spurs paid West Ham United for Fernandes.
Strong Start
Following Santos’ debut in pre-season against Wrexham, Michael Carrick was full of praise. The 45-year-old coach praised how the Brazilian “connected really well” with Mason Mount, while his new teammate hailed him as “brilliant”.
This has been backed up by veteran centre-back Harry Maguire, who described Santos as a “really nice person”, and claimed he has already wowed in training and on the pitch.
“We’ve just got to try and make him feel comfortable at the moment. But yeah, he’s come in, he’s settled in really well. He’s been brilliant in training. I thought he was brilliant in the game as well,” the 33-year-old Englishman said.
“And yeah, he’s always smiling, he’s always laughing and joking around. But yeah, like I said, he’s still really young, and he’s going to have a big part to play in this club’s future.”
Now, an inside source at Old Trafford has revealed these feelings are shared by the staff, who have been blown away by Santos’ intensity and work rate in training. He is said to be a “positive character” who everyone likes, with an understated but funny personality. The fitness coaches, in particular, are understood to be “really impressed”.
Final Thoughts
Since INEOS took the helm at Old Trafford in 2024, they have sought to improve Manchester United’s recruitment by targeting Premier League-proven operators yet to enter their prime, who are as positive off the pitch as they are on it, without overpaying. So far, Santos looks to tick every one of these boxes – and is primed to be an all-action dynamo at the heart of Carrick’s new-look side.
Featured image Shaun Botterill via Getty Images
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