Chelsea agree sale of Santos to Man Utd
Chelsea have agreed a £50m deal with Manchester United for the sale of Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos.
Chelsea will receive an initial £48m up front for Santos, with an additional £2m structured in what are described as achievable add-ons. The Blues have also successfully negotiated a 10% sell-on clause, ensuring a slice of any future sale.
Santos, 22, is now set to become Chelsea’s third significant departure of the summer transfer window, following the sale of defender Marc Cucurella to Real Madrid and winger Tyrique George’s move to Everton.
Santos was signed by Chelsea from Vasco da Gama in January 2023 but spent his initial two years out on loan.
He immediately returned to Vasco for a short stint, followed by a frustrating spell at Nottingham Forest, where he made just two appearances before being recalled in January 2024. Santos then found his feet during back-to-back loan spells in France with Ligue 1 side Strasbourg.
He finally made his competitive Chelsea debut in June 2025 during the FIFA Club World Cup in a 3-0 victory over ES Tunis, ultimately helping the Blues win the tournament. Over the course of the 2025/26 campaign, Santos made 27 appearances across all competitions, scoring two goals.
