Overview
- Santos completed a summer move from Chelsea for a reported £48 million plus £2 million in add-ons and has trained and played with Manchester United throughout pre-season.
- He played about 65 minutes in United’s 1-1 friendly with Paris Saint-Germain, a match that coaching staff and media cited when praising his defensive reading and tackling.
- Santos has said he prefers the deep-lying 'number six' position and publicly described Casemiro as a 'legend' while expressing confidence he can perform that role for United.
- His arrival complements the signing of Youri Tielemans and is part of targeted midfield reinforcement driven by Casemiro’s exit, Manuel Ugarte’s injury and the demands of Champions League football.
- A former Vasco da Gama youth product who had spells at Nottingham Forest and Strasbourg before Chelsea, Santos is using pre-season to build full fitness and adapt tactically alongside players such as Mason Mount and Bruno Fernandes.