Manchester United have completed the £48m signing of Brazil midfielder Andrey Santos from Chelsea and are in advanced talks to bring Aston Villa’s Youri Tielemans to Old Trafford.
The double midfield pursuit comes as United reshape the center of the pitch, while a planned £35m move for Atalanta’s Ederson has been put on hold after a medical issue was flagged.
Santos, 22, has signed a contract to June 2031 with the option of a further year after passing his medical.
The former Chelsea player was part of the squad that won the 2025 Club World Cup and made 43 appearances last season.
Santos, who will now work under head coach Michael Carrick, said it was “an incredible feeling to join a club that some of my biggest idols have represented” and that he was eager to learn from Carrick.
He has already started training and could feature when United begin pre-season against Wrexham in Helsinki on 18 July.
United’s interest in Tielemans has intensified in recent days. The 29-year-old Belgian is understood to have a release clause in his Villa contract, which has helped negotiations progress.
Tielemans was a key player for Belgium at the World Cup before pulling out of the quarter-final defeat to Spain with a warm-up injury.
The move would ease pressure on United’s midfield after Casemiro’s departure, and Manuel Ugarte’s knee injury left Kobbie Mainoo as the only experienced orthodox central midfielder.
United also missed out on primary targets Elliot Anderson, who joined Manchester City, and Mateus Fernandes, who chose Tottenham.
The deal for Ederson will not go ahead for now. The 27-year-old Brazilian had initial tests in the US that highlighted a knee concern, and further examinations in England with specialists led United to withdraw.
Sources say the transfer could be revisited later in the window, but not at the previously agreed £35m. The club said it was acting in United’s best interests, while stressing the Santos signing was not a reaction to the Ederson situation.
Santos is expected to be integrated quickly into pre-season, giving supporters an early look at one of the club’s main arrivals.
United are also expected to provide further updates via BBC Sounds, where the club’s pre-season and transfer coverage will continue.
