Man Utd transfer: How Andrey Santos would be 'perfect fit' for Reds as he 'pushes' for move

Andrey Santos is pushing hard for a move to Manchester United and with the Reds also interested here is how he could be a perfect fit.

The Brazilian midfielder is keen on a permanent move away from Chelsea where he has failed to hold down a regular in the team.

The 22-year-old, joined Chelsea from Vasco da Gama in an £18 million deal in 2023, but was then loaned out after failing to find a place in a side overloaded with midfielders.

Santos is understood to be prioritising a move where he can become a regular starter which would be difficult at Chelsea.

He has had mixed success on his loan moves having just made two appearances in five months before being recalled.

But he did well at Strasbourg where he got 10 goals in 32 league appearances.

Last season he was one of the victims of the managerial merry-go-round at Chelsea, under Enzo Maresco and then Liam Rosenior. The latter described Santos as a "world class player" in the mould of Brazilian great Dunga but during the campaign he failed to stand out in his 27 apperances.

Why he could fit in so well at United is because Santos is the kind of player that the team doesn't have.

They need an athletic, hardworking midfielder who can get up and down the pitch, breaking up challenges and starting attacks.

Santos is clearly ambitious and with a reported asking transfer fee of around £50million he would fit a lot better into United's financial planning than the £80million to £100million talked about for alternative midfielders.

Interest from Manchester United is genuine, with sources close to the player confirming to us that Old Trafford would be a very attractive destination for Santos.

Should the Red Devils table a solid bid, Santos is said to be keen on the switch, viewing it as an opportunity to develop under a structured environment and compete for trophies in the Premier League and Europe.

The Brazilian international possesses the versatility to operate in the box-to-box role or sitting in a deeper creative role, which would benefit Michael Carrick’s side.

At the same time Chelsea are open to offloading fringe players as they look to balance their books and reshape the squad.

While Santos still has several years left on his contract, both parties appear aligned on the need for a fresh start.