Andrey Santos is on the verge of leaving Chelsea after three years with the club.
The 22-year-old will soon become the Blues' third sale of the summer after Marc Cucurella and Tyrique George joined Real Madrid and Everton, respectively.
Santos' impending switch to Old Trafford has progressed rapidly after the two clubs reached an agreement worth £50 million (including £2 million in add-ons) earlier in the week.
Fans have been quick to give their thoughts on whether or not the defensive midfielder's exit is good value money for Chelsea, so let's take a look at how his move compares to others in the same position.
Confirmed Premier League defensive midfielder transfers
Undoubtedly one of the most in demand positions, the midfield market has so far dominated the summer transfer window.
The Premier League has already seen four big defensive midfield deals completed, including Elliot Anderson's record-breaking £116 million move from Nottingham Forest to Manchester City.
Spurs have also acted aggressively in the opening weeks of the window, signing Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes for a combined £185 million from Newcastle United and West Ham, respectively.
Player | Age | To | From | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Elliot Anderson | 23 | Man City | Nott'm Forest | £116m |
Sandro Tonali | 26 | Spurs | Newcastle | £100m |
Mateus Fernandes | 22 | Spurs | West Ham | £85m |
Hayden Hackney | 24 | Everton | Middlesborough | £24m |
Everton have also spent big on their midfield after recently confirming they've signed Hayden Hackney from Middlesborough.
Consequently, as soon as Santos' £50 million move to Manchester United is officially announced, the former Vasco de Gama star will join some illustrious company.
Where Andrey Santos ranks among world's most expensive
It isn't just England's top-flight that boasts some of the sports' best defensive midfielders, though.
There is genuine quality all throughout Europe's top leagues, and Santos now finds himself inside the continent's top 10 defensive midfielders based on Transfermarkt's market value.
Player | Age | Club | Market Value |
|---|---|---|---|
Vitinha | 26 | PSG | £120m |
Moises Caicedo | 24 | Chelsea | £85m |
Aleksandar Pavlovic | 22 | Bayern Munich | £77m |
Ryan Gravenberch | 24 | Liverpool | £68m |
Martin Zubimendi | 27 | Arsenal | £64m |
Adam Wharton | 22 | Crystal Palace | £60m |
Aurelien Tchouameni | 26 | Real Madrid | £60m |
Andrey Santos | 22 | Chelsea | £50m |
Carlos Baleba | 22 | Brighton | £46m |
James Garner | 25 | Everton | £38m |
Paris Saint-Germain's Vitinha — following back-to-back UEFA Champions Leagues — leads the list with the Portugal international valued an eye-watering £120 million.
And although Moises Caicedo's market value is not £115 million — the fee Chelsea paid Brighton for him three years ago — the Ecuadorean is still considered Europe's second-most valuable defensive midfielder.
Based on the £50 million the Red Devils are about to pay for Santos, the Brazilian is set to become Europe's eighth-most valuable defensive midfielder, surpassing Brighton's Carlos Baleba and Everton's James Garner.
However, it is worth noting, the numbers above are only the players' market values. More often than not, selling clubs end up receiving a much higher fee.
Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton is the perfect example of this. Not only is the Englishman the same age as Santos, but if he does leave Selhurst Park this summer, there is no way he'll go for as little as £60 million. That scenario would make the Red Devils' business for Santos look even better.
And for those who don't Santos highly, although his inclusion in such an impressive list might be surprising, his age and potential has made him a very attractive option, and with Manchester United playing Champions League football next season, the Brazilian will have the chance to inflate his market value even further.
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