​Andrey Santos was at Carrington on Saturday but did not take part in the session, with the £48 million Chelsea midfielder set to begin training with Manchester United on Monday, according to UtdDistrict and its insider source Djaameel. The timing positions Santos as effectively United’s first official summer signing under Michael Carrick, with a formal club announcement anticipated imminently. The deal is structured at £48 million plus £2 million in add-ons as the 22-year-old leaves Stamford Bridge for Old Trafford. Follow Stretty News on Google as a preferred source to stay ahead of every United update.
United’s players who were not involved in the World Cup have already returned to Carrington in preparation for the 2026/27 campaign, and the club’s first pre-season fixture against Wrexham in Finland is scheduled for 18 July. Santos landing in training on Monday gives him just over a week to acclimatise before the squad departs on tour. Players who were in the World Cup, including Bruno Fernandes and Noussair Mazraoui, will join later. This staggered return means Santos joins a group that is manageable in size but already aligned with Carrick’s structure, providing a reasonable window for an early start on the new training culture Carrick has implemented at Carrington.
Full background on the Santos transfer is available from Stretty News. Santos developed through loan spells at Nottingham Forest and Strasbourg after joining Chelsea from Vasco da Gama in January 2023. His time at Strasbourg, where he recorded 10 goals and 3 assists, elevated his profile from a raw prospect to a midfielder capable of contributing a genuine goal threat from deep positions. Signing Santos and the anticipated arrival of Karl Darlow address two immediate squad needs, though United remain short in midfield depth. The linked Stretty News piece on the Santos deal notes that Manu Koné and João Gomes are still potential additions before the window closes, with Carrick eager to give any new midfielders ample pre-season time to absorb his system ahead of a return to the Champions League.
The pursuit of Éderson, highlighted in the same Roundtable report, has been ruled out. United’s focus this week appears to be on finalising Santos’s official arrival and evaluating what further midfield depth is realistic before the tour departs. In the meantime, the primary objective is to secure Santos’s participation in the squad as quickly as possible, enabling him to integrate into Carrick’s plans and contribute to United’s tactical approach from the outset.