Man Utd complete £50m signing of Santos from Chelsea

So, the Brazil international lands at Old Trafford. The deal’s a cool £48m guaranteed, with another £2m hanging on those ever-elusive performance-related add-ons. Chelsea, naturally, held onto a 10 per cent sell-on clause. Never miss a trick, do they?

Santos pitched up at Stamford Bridge from Vasco da Gama in 2023. Last season, he turned out 43 times for the Blues. Three goals. Four assists. Across all competitions, sure. But let's be honest, he was never going to break through that mess of a midfield, was he? Especially with Moises Caicedo locked down until 2033. And with no European football next term? His chances of sniffing regular first-team minutes were, shall we say, non-existent.

The 21-year-old had his little excursions too: loan spells at Nottingham Forest and that French outfit, Strasbourg. You know, 'gaining experience' away from the bright lights of west London.

Word is, United's still sniffing around Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa, talks reportedly at £36m. Ederson from Atalanta? That one hit a snag with the medical, but don't count it out entirely. Still, no, Santos isn't some backup plan for the Atalanta man. Let's be clear about that.

So, Carrick's got his first permanent body through the door. The new campaign looms.