Manchester United have agreed a £50m deal to sign Chelsea and Brazil midfielder Andrey Santos, Sky Sports confirmed Wednesday. The agreement includes a guaranteed £48m plus £2m in add-ons, with Chelsea retaining a 10 percent sell-on clause. Santos is now set to undergo a medical with his new club.
The 22-year-old defensive midfielder joined Chelsea permanently from Vasco da Gama in January 2023 and has since built his reputation through loan spells at Nottingham Forest and RC Strasbourg, where he captained the side to 11 goals and five assists in 34 appearances during the 2024-25 season. He returned to Chelsea last summer and became part of the club's 2025 FIFA Club World Cup-winning squad.
Off the pitch, Santos has been consistently open about his faith. His Instagram bio reads simply "Isaías 54:17" - a Bible verse from Isaiah declaring that no weapon formed against God's people will prosper. He has repeatedly thanked God in posts marking major life moments, writing after a big match win, "Thanks God for everything! What a night," and describing the birth of his son as "the greatest love of my life, the greatest gift that God has given me." In an emotional farewell letter to Strasbourg fans last year, he again credited his journey to his faith before returning to Chelsea.
Now heading to Old Trafford in one of the summer's biggest Premier League moves, Santos joins a growing list of footballers across Europe who have been vocal about their faith on some of the sport's biggest stages.
