Manchester United officially announced the arrival of Andrey Santos, and after weeks of fans freaking out, this is exactly what the Red Devils needed. The club had already missed out on Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali, and Mateus Fernandes, and when the Ederson deal didn't materialize, panic was definitely spreading. But INEOS wasn't messing around! They wrapped up the deal for the Brazilian in double-quick time, clearly stoked with the price they paid for a player with such insane potential. Santos was already at the Carrington training ground over the weekend, getting straight to work with his new teammates. Talk about hitting the ground running!
Michael Carrick's Vision Blew Santos Away
The 22-year-old midfielder didn't just get familiar with the locker room, he also sat down with his new head coach, Michael Carrick. And let me tell you, Carrick's vision for the team totally blew him away. Santos spoke to the club's media team, saying, "I know him very well. He's a top, top coach." He vividly remembered their initial 30-minute meeting, adding, "when I finished my meeting with him, I said: 'Wow, he's amazing.'" Now that they've met in person, Santos is absolutely buzzing to work with him. He's also got some familiar faces around. Santos knows Matheus Cunha well from their time on the Brazilian national team, and he even spoke with Mason Mount after a United versus Chelsea game when Santos was still playing for the Blues.A Midfielder Who Lives For Goals? Yes, Please!
Santos isn't just excited to get started, he's ready to light up the pitch with his goals. The United No. 17 is a huge fan of captain Bruno Fernandes, admitting they swapped shirts after a game at Old Trafford. He's pumped to play with Bruno, Matheus, Kobbie Mainoo, Amad, Diogo Dalot, Harry Maguire, "so with everyone," and he knows he can learn a ton from them. While many feel Santos has what it takes to step into Casemiro's shoes for both United and Brazil, Santos himself has his sights set on one thing: scoring more often. "I'm a midfielder but I like to score goals, I like to arrive in the box to score, so to help my team-mates," he explained. His loan season with Strasbourg in 2024/25 was massive for him, where he found the net 10 times. He hopes to be "better" this season, and the stats back his ambition, showing he was the highest-scoring central midfielder in Ligue 1 during that loan spell. He was prolific for his boyhood club Vasco da Gama too and played a key role in Brazil's Under-20 CONMEBOL Championship win. With Santos already linking up with his new squad at Carrington, the buzz is palpable. He's a midfielder who isn't afraid to get into the box and score, and after bagging 10 goals in Ligue 1 last season, he's aiming for even more this time around. If he can build on that, and if Carrick's vision takes hold, this could be an absolutely massive season for him and for Manchester United. Get ready to watch this kid fly!This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.