Manchester United have already begun reshaping their midfield this summer after agreeing a £35 million deal with Atalanta for Brazilian midfielder Éderson. The 26-year-old was expected to be unveiled shortly after the agreement was reached, but a late call-up to Carlo Ancelotti's Brazil squad is now likely to delay his official announcement.

With Casemiro set to depart after agreeing a move to MLS side Inter Miami, United were also prepared to entertain offers for Manuel Ugarte. The Uruguayan midfielder has struggled to make the desired impact across two underwhelming seasons at Old Trafford, and the club viewed his sale as an important step in funding another midfield addition.

Those plans, however, have suffered a significant setback after Ugarte sustained an ACL injury at the World Cup. The injury leaves United in a difficult position, as they had been counting on his transfer fee to help finance a move for a third midfielder ahead of a Champions League campaign in which squad depth will be essential.

West Ham's Mateus Fernandes was one of United's priority targets, but they ultimately missed out on a deal after refusing to pay the £85 million asking price, allowing Tottenham Hotspur to swoop in and secure the signing. After missing out on the deal, Bournemouth's Alex Scott is understood to be the club's leading alternative.

Manchester United have been linked with a plethora of Premier League midfielders this summer, with INEOS seemingly exhausting every possibility to secure the right profile of player.

According to The Guardian, United have added Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos to their list of midfield targets, with the 22-year-old open to a move to seek regular minutes.

The Brazilian, who former Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior described as "world-class", is seen as sellable by the London side, who need to raise funds to aid Xabi Alonso in strengthening his Chelsea side.

Newcastle United are also reportedly monitoring Santos' situation as they look for a replacement for Sandro Tonali, who joined Tottenham Hotspur.

Despite their interest being rebuffed by Sunderland, Chelsea remain interested in signing Granit Xhaka to add much-needed experience and leadership to their young side, with the Swiss veteran having already worked with Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen.

Despite making 27 Premier League appearances, Santos still finds himself behind Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez in the pecking order, and would likely slip even further should Chelsea sign Xhaka.

There will be plenty of minutes to be shared within the midfield ahead of a Champions League campaign, so the signing of the talented Brazilian could prove to be a good one.

With that being said, however, INEOS will still be looking to sign a marquee midfielder, especially after losing Casemiro. Considering they targeted the likes of Elliot Anderson, Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali, there is certainly money to be spent at Old Trafford this summer, as the club now shifts its focus to the likes of Bournemouth's Alex Scott and Real Madrid's Aurélien Tchouaméni.