Chelsea may not want Andrey Santos anymore, but their Premier League rivals Manchester United certainly do.
United have agreed a £50m deal with Chelsea to sign Santos; however, they are not the only English club who are fans of the midfielder.
It has been reported that four other Premier League outfits have also shown interest in signing Santos. It is United, though, who have won the race for his signature.
Santos is one of Chelsea’s most-underrated players 🧩
Man United and Newcastle are interested.
Chelsea’s underappreciation of Andrey Santos becomes clear after Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham, Aston Villa and Newcastle interest
According to TEAMtalk, before United agreed their deal with Chelsea to sign Santos, Manchester City, Aston Villa and Newcastle United were also keen on the 22-year-old.
The same outlet has claimed that Tottenham Hotspur also enquired about Santos earlier in the transfer window before turning their full attention to Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali.
It means that Santos almost sparked a five-way transfer battle between some of English football’s top clubs.
Clearly, Chelsea do not appreciate what they have in Santos. The likes of United and City want him in their team, yet they are happy for the Brazilian to leave theirs.
After paying just £18m to sign Santos from Vasco da Gama in 2023, this is obviously a great chance to make some profit and boost the club’s finances.
However, Santos would have been an extremely useful asset to Xabi Alonso next season.
Unfortunately, both Romeo Lavia and Dario Essugo have struggled to remain fit. But that has not been the case with Santos, who made 43 appearances in all competitions last term.
Santos is reliable and good at making tackles and interceptions. He does not feel loved at Chelsea, though, and will now be hoping to be shown more appreciation at United.
Chelsea are surely going to have to replace him. It would be a huge risk to rely on Lavia and Essugo after their injury struggles.
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
