Manchester United is focusing on Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos, who carries a valuation of £50m. After missing out on targets like Elliot Anderson and Mateus Fernandes, United is looking to strengthen their midfield under manager Michael Carrick. The club is also considering Bournemouth’s Alex Scott as an alternative option.

Santos finds himself behind Moisés Caicedo and Enzo Fernández in the Chelsea lineup and is open to leaving for more regular playing time. With Caicedo recently extending his contract, Santos’ path to the first team appears blocked. Newcastle is also keeping an eye on the situation as they search for a replacement for Sandro Tonali, who is set to join Tottenham.

With Manchester United returning to the Champions League, they have identified midfield as a critical area for investment. An agreement to sign Éderson from Atalanta for £35m is in place, although the transfer has been delayed due to the player’s late call-up for the World Cup.

The club faces a depth issue in midfield following the departure of Casemiro and the knee ligament injury suffered by Manuel Ugarte during a recent match against Spain.

Santos, now 22, joined Chelsea from Vasco da Gama for £18m in 2023 and has spent time on loan at Nottingham Forest and Strasbourg. Last season, he made 27 Premier League appearances and scored once. Despite earning six caps for Brazil, he is not part of Carlo Ancelotti’s World Cup squad.

Additionally, Chelsea is pursuing the experienced Granit Xhaka from Sunderland, who has previously collaborated with Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen, but has faced rejections from the Black Cats.