Bertolucci Sports midfielder set for Old Trafford
Bertolucci Sports client Andrey Santos is set to join Manchester United after the club reached an agreement with Chelsea for the Brazilian midfielder.
The deal is worth £48m fixed plus £2m in easily achievable add-ons, taking the package to £50m. Chelsea have also secured a 10% sell-on clause, protecting future upside if Santos develops into the long-term Brazil midfielder many expect him to become.
Personal terms are already in place, and Chelsea have given permission for Santos to undergo his Manchester United medical. The transfer is now moving into the formal stage, with medical checks and paperwork left before completion.
United move for a younger midfield core
Manchester United have been looking for midfield power, legs and long-term structure, and Santos fits that idea. He is 22, already capped by Brazil, Premier League-tested, Ligue 1-developed and comfortable playing as both a deeper midfielder and a box-to-box option.
The move also says something about United’s market direction. Instead of only targeting peak-age stars, they are paying for a player who already has senior experience but still has development value. Santos is not an academy gamble. He has already played in Brazil, England and France, and his Strasbourg loan turned him from a Chelsea project into a serious European midfield asset.
That Strasbourg spell remains central to the valuation. Santos produced 12 goals and five assists in 45 appearances across his loan period in France, showing ball-winning ability, timing in the box and leadership beyond his age.
Chelsea sell from a position of depth
For Chelsea, this is a major sale but not a simple sporting failure. Santos returned from Strasbourg with a stronger reputation and played a real role in the 2025/26 season, but the competition in midfield remained heavy.
Public reports credit Santos with 43 appearances, three goals and four assists for Chelsea last season. Those numbers show that he was involved, but not always central. With Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez and other midfield options ahead of him in the internal hierarchy, Chelsea have decided to turn a BlueCo recruitment success into a major capital gain.
The 10% sell-on clause is important. It means Chelsea are not completely walking away from his upside. If Santos becomes a top-level Premier League midfielder at Manchester United and later moves again, Chelsea still benefit from the next deal.
Agency angle
This is another important Premier League file involving Bertolucci Sports, one of the strongest Brazil-to-Europe agencies in the market.
The agency, led by Giuliano Bertolucci, has built its reputation around elite Brazilian talent and major European pathways. Its client list includes names such as Bruno Guimaraes, Gabriel Magalhaes, Marquinhos, Matheus Cunha, David Neres and Andrey Santos.
Santos’ career path is very typical of the agency’s strength: Brazil development, European placement, loan strategy, value growth and then a high-value Premier League move. Chelsea originally signed him from Vasco da Gama, but the decisive market jump came after Strasbourg, where he gained minutes, confidence and a clearer identity.
Now Bertolucci Sports have another major English-market transaction on the table, with Manchester United betting that Santos can become part of their next midfield cycle.
What Santos brings to Manchester United
Santos gives United a midfielder who can press, recover, carry and arrive late in attacking areas. His profile is different from a pure holding midfielder. He has enough discipline to play deeper, but his best football often comes when he is allowed to step forward and attack space.
That is why this deal makes sense even if United continue looking at other midfielders. Santos can be part of a double pivot, play as an energetic No.8, or operate in a more balanced midfield three.
The fee is big, but the logic is clear: Manchester United are buying age, upside, Premier League adaptation and Brazil-level potential. Chelsea are selling a player they rate, but at a price that makes business sense.
If the medical goes as planned, Andrey Santos will become one of the most interesting midfield transfers of the summer and another major Premier League move shaped by Bertolucci Sports.
