Rio Ferdinand has urged caution over Manchester United’s move to sign Andrey Santos, believing the Chelsea midfielder is far from the finished product. Working down the list Having failed in their pursuits of Elliot Anderson, Mateus Fernandes and Aurelien Tchouameni, the Red Devils have been forced to pivot towards alternate targets to fix their stalling engine room. Bournemouth maestro Alex Scott is understood to be the main target, but Bournemouth are adamant the 22-year-old is not for sale. It will likely require a fee in the region of £80 million to change this stance, with the Cherries keen to lock him down on a new contract. Crystal Palace playmaker Adam Wharton, fresh from winning the Europa Conference League with the Eagles, is another option at the same price range on the list. Michael Carrick is believed to be a big fan of the former Blackburn star, who has drawn comparisons to United’s head coach. Carlos Baleba remains a player with admirers in M16, though Brighton & Hove Albion have so far refused to budge on their £100 million valuation, despite the Cameroon international suffering a major downturn in form last season. This situation has led United to reignite their pursuit of Santos, having made advances to sign the 22-year-old Brazilian last year while negotiating Alejandro Garnacho’s switch to Stamford Bridge. But where Chelsea ruled out an exit twelve months ago, the Blues have opened the door this summer, as Santos is keen to leave in search of more first-team opportunities. INEOS have maintained contact with his camp throughout this period, explaining why a £50 million deal was struck so quickly this week. The Rio de Janeiro native is set to travel to Manchester today to complete a medical. Inside sources at Old Trafford reveal the club consider the price a bargain in the current market, with a sense of surprise that Chelsea accepted the proposal. “Is he the guy…?” This positivity is not necessarily shared by Ferdinand, however, with the former centre-back believing Santos will not be able to immediately take the reins from Casemiro as the team’s anchor. “Is he the guy who is going to replace Casemiro? I don’t think he is the guy who immediately jumps into those shoes and performs at that level right now,” he states on Rio Ferdinand Presents. But the six-time Premier League winner, who was the beating heart of one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s most successful United sides, is confident Santos has the “potential” to form a successful partnership with Kobbie Mainoo. “Could he grow, does he have the potential? Yes. Could he be the long-term partner for Kobbie Mainoo? Yes, he could. But I’m looking to see who else they bring in in that area because I think he is one of maybe three to come into that area to share the load. ‘He has played in the Premier League, he has got six caps for Brazil. I’ve seen a lot of the fan base are quite negative about it, but I think they are only negative about it because he’s the first one and other clubs are signing players who have been in the news a lot more. Ferdinand concludes that Santos is a good signing for depth, but not an instant solution for Carrick in midfield: “Is he a good addition to the squad? Yes. Is he going to start immediately? I would say not right now.” Featured image Gareth Copley via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Darragh Fox Darragh is an editor for The Peoples Person who spent three years learning about the Cold War at the University of Sheffield slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about. Amad’s first touch should be officially recognised as the eighth wonder of the world.
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