Man Utd quickly start talks for Arsenal’s target right after signing Andrey Santos
Manchester United are speeding up their summer transfer plans with another big move after agreeing to sign Chelsea star Andrey Santos.
After finishing third and qualifying for next season’s Champions League, United are keen to bring in new players, especially in midfield, following Casemiro’s free transfer departure.
They’ve already agreed a £35 million deal for Atalanta’s Ederson, with just the second part of his medical left to complete.
However, after Manuel Ugarte suffered a serious knee injury at the World Cup and Mateus Fernandes chose Spurs, United are eager to strengthen their midfield even more.
On Wednesday, The Athletic’s David Ornstein reported that United have agreed a deal for Santos for a fee expected to reach £50 million.
Personal terms are set, and Chelsea, who will keep a 10% sell-on fee, have allowed Santos to take his medical.
If this goes through, United could have another Brazilian midfielder joining soon, as they’ve also started talks to sign Danilo Santos from Botafogo, according to Brazilian paper O Dia via Sport Witness.
Arsenal are also interested in Danilo, who was part of Brazil’s World Cup squad but only played 44 minutes and didn’t start any games.
United have opened talks with Botafogo, who need to sell players this summer due to financial issues.
Botafogo hoped Danilo’s World Cup performance would raise his value to around £34 million, but since he had little game time, they might accept a lower price.
His former club Palmeiras is also interested and could be an option if United or Arsenal don’t go through with a deal.
The 25-year-old has European experience, having played for Nottingham Forest in the Premier League after they signed him for £16 million in January 2023.
Danilo made 62 appearances for Forest but missed a lot of time after breaking his leg early in the 2024/25 season.
After recovering, he returned to Brazil with Botafogo in July 2025 and scored 11 goals in 41 games from midfield.
Despite all this, United has yet to officially confirm their first signing of the summer, Ederson, even though it seemed close to done.
The first part of his medical happened in New York, but since there’s been little progress, some fans got worried.
However, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano said the wait is normal, and a second medical check will happen before United finalize the deal.
He shared: “Ederson’s second medical will take place this week in England: Man United want guarantees before signing off the deal with Atalanta.
All set for €45m since one month ago but waiting on extra medical check next.”