Why United feel they got the better of PL rivals in their deal for dynamic enforcer explained – report

Manchester United have acted with alarming speed and secured their second midfield signing of the summer. Fans were distraught after the Red Devils failed in their pursuits of Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali, and Mateus Fernandes. Given Bournemouth’s stance on selling Alex Scott and the price being quoted, INEOS were quick to pivot to Andrey Santos and wrapped up a deal at lightning quick pace. As reported by Sully and Max Fretwell, such a quick deal was possible due to the Brazilian pushing to leave Chelsea for United. Andrey Santos wanted to join United The 22-year-old is keen for regular minutes and felt the United project would afford him that opportunity. Both the 20-time English league champions and the Blues share a good understanding at boardroom level, which further helped in sealing the deal. While naysayers keep questioning INEOS’ decision to spend an initial £48 million on someone who did not set the stage alight at Stamford Bridge, the United hierarchy are delighted with the deal. They feel United ultimately paid significantly less for a talent like Andrey Santos, whose potential could explode if used correctly at Old Trafford. “Chelsea have agreed a deal to sell Andrey Santos to Manchester United. The figure agreed between clubs is £48m + £2m in easy add ons. Chelsea will also hold a 10% future sell on clause. Chelsea and Manchester United hold a good relationship at board level, making the negotiations smooth. Why United are delighted revealed “Sources have told Striver.Football that the move was the desire of Santos, who saw an opportunity to start more often at Manchester United. “Chelsea rate Santos as a player and person but the move is deemed to be suitable for all parties. He asked Chelsea to leave. “Sources close to Manchester United meanwhile are said to be ‘delighted’ with the price of Santos. In comparison with the ceiling of Santos, the Red Devils believe they have got a very good deal, and are happy internally.” What United’s plans are for Andrey Santos will become clearer as the window progresses. It is already established that Michael Carrick wants as many as three new signings, with one of them earmarked to replace Casemiro. Andrey Santos might be the Casemiro replacement Before the Chelsea ace, only a deal for Ederson had been agreed, but even that has run into problems. Either way, the Atalanta star is not exactly a defensive midfielder, but more of a box-to-box player. This effectively means that Andrey Santos could be the successor to the five-time Champions League winner. Fans will be hoping he can grab this opportunity with both hands. Feature image Eddie Keogh 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 Ayantan Chowdhury After failing to become a professional footballer, Ayantan switched to the next best thing: writing about the greatest football club in the world. He has extensive sports journalism experience, having worked for over 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25