Manchester United have signed Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos from Chelsea for £48m, marking new manager Michael Carrick's first signing since taking charge. The move addresses a pressing need for midfield reinforcements following Casemiro's departure and Manuel Ugarte's long-term injury, though it is seen as a surprising choice given Santos was often a backup player at a Chelsea side that finished well below United last season.

Santos, alongside the arrival of Youri Tielemans for £35m, is expected to help fill the void left by Casemiro, particularly with his incisive passing from deep midfield positions. Statistically, he ranked among the Premier League's better midfielders last season for forward pass completion, passes into the final third and line-breaking passes, suggesting a more defensively switched-on and combative profile than United's Kobbie Mainoo. United fans will hope Santos complements rather than displaces Mainoo, forming a more balanced central midfield pairing.