Blockbuster update as Man Utd now deemed ‘frontrunners’ for £39m-valued Chelsea starlet, he’s not untouchable

Manchester United have reportedly emerged as ‘frontrunners’ in the race for Chelsea starlet Andrey Santos, who could be on the move at the end of the season.That’s according to outlet Ntvascainos, which adds that Juventus are also actively monitoring the player’s situation ahead of igniting a potential pursuit. CRIA PODE RENDER DINHEIRO AO VASCO Andrey Santos, meio-campista de 21 anos e cria do Vasco da Gama, desperta interesse de gigantes europeus e pode estar de saída do Chelsea na janela de verão europeia, que iniciará em junho. Apesar de estar sendo utilizado frequentemente por… pic.twitter.com/YGQjUZ1EGF — NTVASCAÍNOS (@ntvascainos) March 7, 2026DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL STRETTY NEWS APP FOR ALL THE LATEST UPDATES & BREAKING NEWS – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAYAndrey Santos: The state of play amid uncertain Chelsea futureThey add that Santos is no longer considered ‘untouchable’ at Stamford Bridge, paving the way for United to test Chelsea’s resolve with an approach in the coming months.The 21-year-old, valued at £39 million by Transfermarkt, has struggled to cement a starting role for the Blues this season.Heading into matchweek 30, Santos has started only 10 league matches and been utilised off the bench 12 times. What’s more, he has been an unused option on six occasions.Such game-time woes have continued into Europe, where he has started only two of Chelsea’s eight Champions League games played. He has accumulated a measly 216 minutes of action in the competition and spent two outings watching on from the bench.Is Santos overseeing his final months as a Blue?It goes without saying that the four-capped Brazilian will be willing his situation to change as Chelsea navigate an enormous end to their season; they are in the last-16 of the UCL, the FA Cup quarter-finals, and sit fifth-placed in the league as they vie for a top-four finish.In the meantime, with United only having the top-four race to focus on, INEOS chiefs have been able to start really scouring the market for transfer targets this summer, which perhaps explains the fresh links to Santos.The youngster signed for Chelsea in 2023 in an £18m transfer from Vasco de Gama.