Some Chelsea sources believe the club offloaded midfielder Andrey Santos to Manchester United in the summer for double his valuation, according to reports.

Santos joined Manchester United in July for a £50 million deal, £48m upfront plus £2m in add-ons. 

It was initially seen as an exciting deal for Manchester United, who secured a talented young midfielder amid Manuel Ugarte’s long-term knee ligament injury absence.

However, Manchester United’s abysmal start to the season under Michael Carrick, having recently ended their nine-game winless streak in all competitions, has put their summer transfer business under scrutiny.

Manchester United director of football Jason Wilcox has understandably received the most flak, but this also covers the club’s summer transfer deals, including the acquisition of Santos.

According to The Athletic, some people close to Chelsea valued Santos at half of the £50m Manchester United forked out for the midfielder.

Is this a fair assessment?

Chelsea signed Santos from Brazilian side Vasco da Gama in January 2023 for an undisclosed fee. There were contrasting reports regarding the fee, with some reporting as low as £13m, while others claimed it was around £18m.

Regardless, it was relatively cheap for a then-18-year-old who captained Brazil Under-20s.

Santos returned to Brazil with Vasco da Gama on a short loan after failing to secure a work permit in the UK, before his career in Europe finally began the following summer.

He joined Nottingham Forest on a season-long loan that summer, which was cut short after struggling to get minutes. He joined Chelsea’s sister club, Strasbourg, in February 2024 on a short loan, which was extended for another season in 2024/25.

His impressive spell at Strasbourg in 2024/25, during which he bagged 10 goals and three assists in Ligue 1, earned him a spot in Chelsea’s squad the following season.

He did not suddenly become a regular starter for Chelsea, but he still made 27 Premier League appearances in 2025/26, 13 of which were as a starter. He then joined Manchester United in the summer of 2026.

So, was Santos truly worth just £25m (half of the £50m United paid for him), an increase of just £7-12m in valuation compared to what Chelsea paid to Vasco da Gama, after two years of development in Europe?

Manchester United might have paid a premium due to their desperate midfield situation and buying from a Premier League rival, but it is hard to believe that Chelsea really valued 22-year-old Santos at just £25m.

Additionally, Manchester United not only paid the fee for Santos for his current ability but also for his potential. For example, Chelsea paid Sporting CP £40m for Geovany Quenda’s high ceiling rather than what he currently offers to the team, which is common practice.