Chelsea's midfield strongman reveals the conditions for a £50 million transfer to Manchester United! Ederson to undergo another medical this week, with reasons revealed

Manchester United's interest in Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos, confirmed by Fabrizio Romano and David Ornstein, is undoubtedly real. Nevertheless, the Brazilian's move hinges on a prerequisite: he wants assurances from United or another club that he will feature more frequently in the starting lineup.

Santos is prepared to leave Chelsea and join Manchester United in the summer transfer window, provided he can secure more playing time under manager Michael Carrick. The reason is that he has been serving as a backup to Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo at Stamford Bridge, with little prospect of improving his status in the near future. This is especially true after the Blues changed their manager, as Xabi Alonso is not as fond of Santos.

Romano stated that United have been in long-term contact with Santos' representatives. "Manchester United have included Santos on their shortlist for a new midfielder," he said. "He is not a new name for United; they considered him months ago. He has always been on the list, but in the past two or three days, United re-established contact with his agent. In other words, they reached out to Santos' representative to learn about his situation. However, as of the weekend, United had not made a formal offer to Chelsea nor engaged in official negotiations."

The transfer fee for Santos will be decisive, Romano explained: "At the moment, there have only been contacts with the player's side, not club-level negotiations. However, I can confirm that Chelsea do not regard Santos as untouchable. If United are willing to offer a good price, they can sign Santos, because he is not a player Chelsea consider indispensable. With the right offer, he could leave in the summer window. But it obviously won't be an ordinary price, and certainly not a cheap one. A loan move is impossible. However, if the bid is ideal, he has a chance to leave and start a new chapter at United or elsewhere. It all depends on the offer, so Santos' situation is worth monitoring."

According to reports, United initially mentioned Santos while looking into Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimarães. "As early as February and March, United met with Santos' agent twice for discussions. You may recall the rumors about United and Guimarães back then? They share the same agent. So United also explored other possibilities and brought up Santos' name. Now that Chelsea have appointed new manager Alonso, Santos is not untouchable, and a transfer might be feasible."

Ben Jacobs also reported United's interest in Santos, adding that Newcastle are keen as well, with playing time being the key factor for the player. "United are exploring the possibility of signing Santos. As the rumors suggest, the midfielder has been on United's list of targets since last summer," Jacobs said. "Chelsea were not willing to sell back then, particularly under Liam Rosenior's management, but now they would consider it if the price is right. Santos is thinking about playing time, and talks are ongoing with the player's camp, but Chelsea have not received any formal approaches."

He added: "Aside from United, Newcastle United are also very interested in Santos. The player is open to a move because he wants a starting spot. When Chelsea signed Alejandro Garnacho, United had already made an approach for Santos. At that time, Chelsea were reluctant to sell, but now a deal could be possible if all parties agree."

Before signing a second midfielder, United hope to finalize the transfer of Brazilian international Ederson. He was confirmed to be joining over a month ago, but an official announcement has yet to be made, sparking rumors of a "deal falling through." It is said that Ederson's transfer is not on the verge of collapse due to any internal issues; rather, there may be some concerns regarding his medical examination.

Romano said: "Manchester United already conducted a medical for Ederson in the United States, but they want another one in the UK before officially signing. The contract is ready, but the results of the next medical will determine whether he joins United or the deal falls through."

He continued: "Ederson is about to travel to the UK for a second medical with United. This is a crucial step. United reached a verbal agreement with Atalanta 40 days ago for a €45 million transfer, but it has not yet been formally signed."

Asked why two medicals are needed, Romano replied: "After the initial medical for Ederson, United still want to conduct another check before signing the contract. The first medical was attended by personnel from the Brazilian national team, but United prefer to do a thorough examination before finalizing the deal. The outcome of the next check will be very important—let's wait and see."

According to the Manchester Evening News, Ederson's medical will take place this week. While there is still some risk of the transfer being canceled, it is not considered significant, and he is expected to join Manchester United as planned.