Andrey Santos arrived at Manchester United with many not knowing where he would fit in Michael Carrick’s midfield plans.
During his time at Chelsea, Andrey Santos was not given many chances to shine in the first team, and he was often used to fill spaces in their midfield.
But United’s recruitment team saw enough to sanction a £48m deal for Santos this summer, making him the first arrival to start the midfield rebuild.
So far, Santos has been excellent in pre-season, and Michael Carrick seems to have found the perfect position and role for the Brazilian within his 4-2-3-1 shape.
Andrey Santos speaks about his favourite midfield position
In the 1-1 draw against PSG, Santos stood out in midfield as a tempo-controller and a line-breaking passer.
He boasted a 95% passing accuracy against PSG, losing possession just three times despite taking 44 touches of the ball.
“My priority is that I like to play deep as a number six, so I try to help my teammates with and without the ball,” Santos said, as quoted by Samuel Luckhurst on X.
“For me, Casemiro is a legend. Now he is finished at United, while I am here. I feel I can do what Casemiro did last season. That is why I am here.”
Santos wants to replace his compatriot Casemiro by playing in a deeper role in United’s midfield.
Andrey Santos has the defensive ability to replicate Casemiro
For the last few years, Casemiro was the muscle in United’s midfield, protecting the back four by dominating ground and aerial duels.
Santos clearly thinks he is capable of stepping into Casemiro’s shoes, but he will have to prove he has the defensive capability, not just with his passing.
Against PSG, Santos made five defensive contributions. His defensive stats overall were impressive considering he played 63 minutes.
- 5 Defensive contributions
- 1 Tackle
- 1 Interception
- 1 Clearance
- 1 Blocked shot
- 1 Ball recovery
- 3/6 Duels won
However, Santos’ true test will come in the Premier League, where physicality and intensity will be at an even higher level.
If Santos can bring his defensive numbers from pre-season into the 2026/27 campaign, then he could be the long-term solution to United’s No.6 position.
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/k2HX5bW