Manchester United's summer plan to rebuild the midfield is moving quickly, with a £50m deal for Andrey Santos agreed this week and Ederson set for a medical before his £38m transfer is concluded.
That would give United two new midfielders in one window, and possibly a third if the market allows, as the club tries to add more control and depth to an area that has looked thin for some time. The timing matters even more because United are expected to return to the Champions League, and the current midfield options have not looked well equipped to handle that level of demand.
At the moment, Kobbie Mainoo is the only available recognised senior central midfielder, with Manuel Ugarte sidelined long term. That is a major reason why United have been so active in the market and why this set of Ineos Man United midfield targets has become such a clear priority.
United have also missed out on several other midfield names along the way. Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes were all targets the club did not land, while Aurelien Tchouameni's new deal with Real Madrid made it harder for United to pursue one of their top options.
What the moves mean
Andrey Santos is a particularly interesting addition because Christopher Vivell, United's director of recruitment, was instrumental in bringing him to Chelsea and is said to highly rate him. Ederson would add another important piece to the rebuild, and together the pair would address an obvious squad issue rather than simply adding depth for the sake of it.
United's aim was to bring in two, perhaps even three, midfielders this summer. If the Santos and Ederson moves are completed as expected, that would go a long way toward fixing a unit that has been stretched too thin and would also give the club a better platform for the season ahead.
