Andrey Santos could make his first appearance for Manchester United this weekend after completing a £50million transfer from Chelsea. The 22-year-old midfielder trained with his new teammates for the first time on Monday and is in line to feature in the opening pre-season friendly against Championship side Wrexham in Helsinki.
Deal Completed
United announced the signing of Santos on Monday, with the Brazilian penning a five-year contract at Old Trafford, with the option of a further year. The six-cap Brazil international was not involved in international duty this summer, allowing him to link up with United for pre-season training immediately.
Santos has already begun working at Carrington and is now set to be part of the squad that travels to Finland for the friendly against Wrexham. He and fellow former Chelsea man Mason Mount are the only senior midfielders currently available to manager Michael Carrick.
Director's Confidence
Director of football Jason Wilcox expressed confidence in the signing, saying: "Andrey is an outstanding midfielder with excellent technical qualities and the ability to impact the game at both ends of the pitch."
Wilcox added: "He was a key target for us in an important position, so we are delighted that he will join Michael’s squad so early in pre-season. Despite already having extensive experience, leadership abilities and proving his talent at the highest level, Andrey still has enormous potential to develop further, and we cannot wait to see him flourish at Manchester United."
Background
The former Vasco da Gama youngster joined Chelsea at the age of 18 but struggled to break into the first team. His move to United represents a fresh start, and with the club's midfield options limited in pre-season, Santos could see early action.
