Manchester United announced three transfers this week, with a £1 million young talent also officially joining! The reason for Santos wearing the No. 17 shirt revealed

Known for their slow pace, Manchester United had confirmed two new signings, Andre Santos and Carl Darlow, as early as last Friday, but delayed the official announcements. However, this week the club will definitely take action, with three new players waiting to be officially unveiled.

Among them, the 22-year-old Chelsea midfielder Santos is most likely to be announced as a Manchester United player on Monday. He has been spotted at Carrington multiple times over the past three days, with the deal 100% complete and registration already processed. The only question is when the club will officially announce it. Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano said: "Manchester United still want to sign a new midfielder because Santos' transfer is done. Many people ask me why Santos' transfer hasn't been officially announced yet. Folks, I can't control United's social media accounts, but I can assure you that Santos' signing is completed. Moreover, the contract was signed on Friday, and the deal is done."

Santos will wear the No. 17 shirt at Manchester United, matching his Chelsea number. The Brazilian youngster chose No. 17 because his ideal is to be a No. 8 player, but since he couldn't get No. 8, and 1+7=8, he settled for that number.

The No. 17 shirt at Manchester United has a story worth telling. Andy Cole was the first player to wear it for the Red Devils in the Premier League era. In January 1995, he joined United from Newcastle United for a British record transfer fee, initially wearing No. 17 and scoring five goals in a single match against Ipswich Town—a Premier League record that still stands. However, Cole only wore No. 17 for one season before switching to No. 9.

Dutch goalkeeper Raimond van der Gouw took the number, serving as Peter Schmeichel's backup for years and winning the treble with the team. The next United No. 17 was Nani. The Portuguese winger spent eight years at the club, making 230 appearances and scoring 41 goals. The talented Sporting Lisbon product was unpredictable—sometimes producing breathtaking moments, and other times frustrating fans with bewildering decisions.

After that, the No. 17 shirt belonged to Daley Blind, Fred, and Alejandro Garnacho. Interestingly, Garnacho moved to Chelsea, and now Santos, arriving from Chelsea, will inherit the number, hoping to write his own success story.

Over the weekend, fans also spotted Welsh international goalkeeper Darlow driving away from Carrington. The 35-year-old, whose contract with Leeds United expired, can join Manchester United on a free transfer as the club's second-choice goalkeeper. Darlow has also passed his medical and will sign a contract until 2029. He may choose United's No. 12 shirt, whose previous owner, Tyrell Malacia, has left the club. Darlow previously used this number during his time at Hull City and Nottingham Forest.

The third new signing is a young academy player, Colombian Cristian Orozco, born on July 13, 2008, meaning he turned 18 on Monday, reaching the age threshold for international transfers. Manchester United had already confirmed his signing for £1 million last year, and he has arrived in England, ready for the transfer to be completed.

Orozco comes from Fortaleza CEIF in Colombia's domestic league and is touted as the "Colombian Caicedo." Of course, his ability is still far from that of Chelsea's midfield anchor, and he needs further development in the youth system. Orozco's reference model is Sekou Kone from Mali, who also joined Manchester United for a seven-figure fee and received high praise, being compared to Essien II or a new Yaya Touré.

However, the 20-year-old Kone's development has not gone as planned, with setbacks including injuries. Last season, he was loaned to United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe's satellite club, Swiss side Lausanne-Sport, but made only five appearances in half a season, totaling just 134 minutes. This summer, Kone will not train with Manchester United; he has rejoined Lausanne-Sport, has already played in a friendly against Brazilian club Flamengo, and is negotiating a one-year extension to his loan.