Man United told they’ve signed a player with ‘superb football intelligence’ and ‘elite potential’
Manchester United fans are eagerly anticipating Andrey Santos’ and Youri Tielemans’ competitive debuts this weekend.
The Red Devils kickstart their 2026/2027 Premier League campaign away to Hull City in Saturday’s early kick-off (12.30pm BST) slot.
Santos and Tielemans eyeing maiden outings vs Hull
While it won’t be an entirely new-look side, unlike that of their arch-rivals Manchester City, the midfield shake-up will take some getting used to after growing accustomed to Casemiro’s presence over the last four years.
It remains to be seen which pairing Michael Carrick will deploy behind talisman Bruno Fernandes in the middle of the park. Presumably, Tielemans will play from the off, and Santos will feature in some form against the newly-promoted Tigers.
The Brazilian international made the move to United in hopes of playing a more prominent role than he had been at Chelsea.
Last season, he made only 13 league starts in total and only three in the Champions League.
Santos racked up 43 appearances across all competitions, but was an unused substitute for 14 matches.
Why United fans should be excited about Santos
Chelsea did rate the 22-year-old highly and were not overly keen on sanctioning his exit.
However, they accepted that he was dissatisfied with his game time and, as long as Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo were fit, Santos’ situation wouldn’t really change for the coming season – especially with no European football on the schedule.
As per Cerys Jones, some of the youngster’s former coaches have lauded him for his superb football intelligence’ and ‘elite potential’, which will undoubtedly be music to Carrick’s ears.
In the meantime, INEOS are actively working on a third and final midfield addition in the form of Brighton and Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba.
Their opening proposal of £60 million upfront and £5m in add-ons does fall below the Seagulls’ valuation, though there is optimism a deal can be agreed.
