Man Utd to sign Chelsea's Santos

Manchester United have agreed a £50m deal with Chelsea for their Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos.

The deal has progressed quickly in the past few hours after United made their initial interest known over the weekend.

United will pay an initial £48m for Santos, with an additional £2m in what are described as ‘achievable’ add-ons. Chelsea have also negotiated a 10% sell-on clause.

• Man Utd to sign Chelsea's Santos

Santos has been cleared for a medical, with fellow countryman Ederson also scheduled to have one before completing his £35m move from Italian side Atalanta following Brazil’s elimination from the World Cup.

The news comes as United’s senior players prepare to return for pre-season training on Thursday and goes part way to addressing what was becoming a major issue.

United prioritised central midfield this summer following the exit of Casemiro when the veteran former Real Madrid man’s contract came to an end. Manuel Ugarte was set to be sold but the Uruguay international has been ruled out for an extended period with cruciate knee ligament damage.