Manchester United have struck an agreement with Chelsea to sign Andrey Santos in a total package worth $66.9 million (£50 million), multiple reports have claimed.The versatile Brazilian midfielder emerged as a shock target for United only in recent days. Thanks to the conviction of Santos, who is in search of first-team soccer, and Chelsea’s willingness to accept the favorable proposal put forward, the Red Devils have struck a swift deal.Santos is set to join United for an initial $64.3 million with a further $2.7 million available in add-ons that are described as “achievable” by The Telegraph. Chelsea will also earn 10% of any profit United make on a future sale.Midfield has been a point of concern for United all summer. And that was before Manuel Ugarte suffered a serious knee injury which is likely to keep him sidelined for the majority of the 2026–27 season. With Casemiro out of the door, Kobbie Mainoo is left as the only senior central midfielder to operate behind Bruno Fernandes.The arrival of Santos, who only broke into the Chelsea team when his former Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior briefly took charge last season, offers some support. But there is plenty more work to do.Will Man Utd Still Sign Éderson After Agreeing Andrey Santos Deal?Man Utd reached an agreement with Atalanta for Éderson at the start of June. | Harry Langer/DeFodi Images/Getty ImagesÉderson has been stuck in transfer limbo for weeks. The Atalanta midfielder (as he technically still is) reportedly struck a deal with United worth around $52 million back at the start of June. However, an emergency call-up to Brazil’s World Cup roster delayed any official announcement.Following a premature exit in the round of 16, Éderson is now set to undergo a second medical at Manchester United. Unless he took a deceptively severe battering during his two substitute appearances in the U.S., the healthy 27-year-old is expected to be unveiled in the coming days.But that’s not where United’s spending stops. Éderson and Santos offer a serated edge to the base of Michael Carrick’s new-look midfield, yet neither is the marquee arrival the club has been chasing all summer.After losing out in the race for Elliot Anderson and Mateus Fernandes, United’s search is still ongoing. According to The Athletic, United’s plan all along has been to add three midfielders. ‘Doubts’ Emerge Over Aurélien TchouaméniThe French international is one of the world’s best midfielders. | Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto/Getty ImagesUnited’s quest for a third new midfielder has supposedly led them to the door of Aurélien Tchouaméni. If the France international was good enough to replace Casemiro at Real Madrid, why not have him fill the Brazilian’s boots at Old Trafford?The logic is sound until negotiations with Real Madrid are factored into the equation. The Telegraph reports that United harbor doubts over the size of the transfer fee it would take to extract Tchouaméni from the Spanish capital. Already this summer, the Red Devils have proven to be unwilling to splash the kind of cash which Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur have committed to midfield reinforcements.At 26 and with two years left on his contract, Tchouaméni won’t be cheap.There is also the growing possibility that the player isn’t keen on a move. Despite ending the season in a very public scuffle with teammate Federico Valverde—who was subsequently hospitalized—it seemed that at least one of the pair, if not both, would move on. However, the appointment of José Mourinho has given hope of a clean slate under the new manager, prompting reports to question whether Tchouaméni would even entertain a move.READ THE LATEST MAN UTD NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FCAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow