As the Brazilian starlet prepares for a shock Old Trafford switch, he aims to fill the defensive void left by the legendary midfielder he grew up emulating.
This transfer window has been rightly hyped for the huge rebuild Manchester United needs in terms of the midfield department.
With Casemiro departing and Manuel Ugarte out with an ACL injury, the only midfielder the club has available to play in the pivot is Kobbie Mainoo. While Mason Mount has been deployed there, that is far from his most comfortable position.
Going into the window, Elliot Anderson and Mateus Fernandes were the two priority deals. However, both players moved to Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, respectively.
After weeks of little to no movement, David Ornstein reported that Manchester United have agreed a deal with Chelsea for Andrey Santos in a move that seemingly came out of the blue.
Santos calls Casemiro his 'hero'
Capable of playing as a six, eight and ten, Santos has proven to be a versatile midfielder, but it was as a defensive midfielder where he was primarily deployed by Enzo Maresca initially and then Liam Rossenier.
The midfielder was also a captain while at Strasborg and has also captained the Brazil U-20 and U-23 sides.
It is no surprise that with all of these traits, his hero growing up was Casemiro. The very man he may be replacing not only at United, but potentially for Brazil going forward.
In an interview with AS in 2024, Santos said: “My idol has always been Casemiro."
United now need a blockbuster move
Providing that Santos and Éderson pass the required medicals, they should make up two of the three midfield signings that the club needs.
Both are versatile midfielders, but Santos would primarily be a six that can play alongside Mainoo like Casemiro, and Éderson would fill the role of a box-to-box eight. This depth would be serviceable for the club as they enter the Champions League.
However, with that being said, the club need to find an exceptional defensive midfielder who ideally could be entering or in their prime to fill the defensive void Casemiro has left.
Bruno Guimarães would be a shrewd move despite being 28. But David Ornstein has reported that he has declared his desire to move to Arsenal. Aurélien Tchouaméni is also proving to be a never-ending starter, with the deal being on and off every day.
The club need to be crafty with how they go about the rest of this window, but given how volatile the market has been, the club need to hone in on a target sooner rather than later.
