After leaving Chelsea for Manchester United, is Andrey Santos ready to be a regular starter?

After 3 years marked by a deficiency of accordant crippled clip astatine Chelsea, Andrey Santos joined Manchester United this transportation model successful hunt of a regular tally successful the starting XI. Despite being signed for a fixed £50 million, the Brazilian midfielder does not person a guaranteed spot successful Michael Carrick's line-up.

Following Casemiro's determination to Inter Miami and Manuel Ugarte's superior wounded during the World Cup, the Red Devils had a wide request successful midfield, addressed by the arrivals of some Andrey and Youri Tielemans, whose merchandise clause was triggered astatine Aston Villa for £35 million.

However, Manchester United's program is to bring successful 1 much reinforcement for the position, with Carlos Baleba the club's main people successful the market.

The midfielder has agelong been a imagination signing for the committee and astir joined Old Trafford astatine the commencement of past season, lone for Brighton to artifact the move. An statement for the Cameroonian is now expected to beryllium reached successful the coming days.

As a result, with Baleba's imaginable arrival, the English manager would person 5 options (Andrey Santos, Tielemans, Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo being the different four) to capable 2 midfield slots, with the trio completed by the irreplaceable Bruno Fernandes.

Much arsenic was the lawsuit with Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez astatine Chelsea, the Brazilian volition look stiff contention to person Carrick.

Even so, Andrey is apt to find a much favourable situation astatine Manchester United than helium did successful his last seasons astatine Stamford Bridge.

Why does Andrey Santos person a much favourable discourse astatine Manchester United than astatine Chelsea?

After an aboriginal breakthrough astatine Vasco da Gama, the 22-year-old midfielder took clip to find abstraction astatine Chelsea, to the constituent wherever helium needed to beryllium loaned retired to summation minutes.

A brief, low-impact spell astatine Nottingham Forest preceded a determination to Strasbourg, wherever helium established himself and adjacent became skipper nether Liam Rosenior.

Andrey was included successful Chelsea's squad readying for the Club World Cup successful 2025, but was overlooked by Enzo Maresca, nether whom helium lone started matches successful the Premier League earlier the Italian's dismissal successful January.

Following the assignment of the English manager, the Brazilian midfielder received much opportunities, but Caicedo and Fernandez remained up of him successful the pecking order, a concern that did not alteration nether Xabi Alonso either.

By contrast, Manchester United are going done a rebuild successful midfield, and the caller fig 17 has already made a beardown archetypal content connected his manager.

A starter successful each six pre-season friendlies, Andrey Santos has been wide praised by the English boss, not lone for his prime connected the pitch, but besides for his personality.

"Andrey, for specified a young antheral to travel successful the mode he's travel in, his character, his property is simply a dream," Carrick told The Athletic.

His tactical discipline, combined with his antiaircraft and originative ability, allows the Brazilian to run either arsenic a holding midfielder oregon further guardant arsenic a 2nd midfielder.

According to information from The Athletic, Andrey averaged 15 line-breaking passes per 100 successful the 2025-26 Premier League, figures adjacent to those of Bruno Fernandes (15.6), Youri Tielemans and Casemiro (both connected 16.3).

Andrey Santos vs Carlos Baleba: the conflict for a starting spot

Even though Carlos Baleba has much acquisition astatine the apical level of English shot than the Brazilian, helium would statesman the combat for a starting spot astatine a disadvantage, arsenic helium is inactive recovering from an ankle ligament injury.

And with the Red Devils splitting their absorption betwixt the Champions League, Premier League, EFL Cup and FA Cup, rotation volition beryllium utile successful navigating a packed calendar.

This is simply a infinitesimal for Andrey Santos to marque his case. He was assessed by Carlo Ancelotti up of the World Cup, but missed retired connected the last squad owed to his inconsistent signifier astatine Chelsea.

To beryllium helium deserves to beryllium considered by the Brazil nationalist squad for the 2030 cycle, Manchester United's fig 17 is looking to instrumentality centre signifier successful 2026-27.