Man Utd sold “little Valverde” for just £9m

Manchester United’s third place finish in the Premier League last season was a huge achievement for Michael Carrick and his staff – especially after the struggles of the first season.

Such a finish allowed the Red Devils to re-enter the Champions League and gives them the chance to compete against the European stars on a regular basis.

It also brought in huge sums of money for the club and made the club an attractive proposition for any player who might be targeted by INEOS during the transfer window.

One player seems to be impressed with the club’s growth and success under Carrick’s leadership in recent months.

How does Santos compare to other midfielders in the Premier League

A few days ago, United were said to have agreed a £50m deal with Premier League club Chelsea for the services of midfielder Andrey Santos.

The Brazilian has also agreed personal terms with Carrick’s men, but tests must be carried out before the deal can be announced and finalised.

The 22-year-old made just 13 starts in England’s top flight last season, but how does he compare to other players in this division?

Santos completed 90% of his attempts at Stamford Bridge – placing him in the top 12% of all midfielders last season.

Off the ball is where he has had the most impact in England’s top flight, as evidenced by his 2.7 tackles and 1.4 tackles per 90 in 2025/26.

Both of the points mentioned above put him in the top 25% of all players in the Premier League – which shows his excellent ability to disrupt the opposition’s progress.

Such numbers are made all the more impressive given that he has had limited minutes to impress at Stamford Bridge over the past few months.

Man United have already sold Santos

Over the years, United have been home to a number of top-class talents – many of which will be utilized today by current manager Carrick.

However, the Red Devils manager must now identify the next generation of stars to try and fill the void and provide the goods at the heart of the side in 2026/27.

Officials may have already missed a trick with one player, as they may have released James Garner who graduated early.

The 25-year-old spent his entire youth career in Manchester, but made just seven appearances for his youth club in all competitions.

Many have tipped him to fight for a higher position after securing promotion at Nottingham Forest back in 2021/22, but the management decided to cash in on his services.

Garner will join Premier League side Everton for just £9m in the summer of 2022 – a deal that now looks like a huge mistake for everyone involved.

This midfielder has developed into one of the best players in this division, his stats from last season showed how high he is compared to those around him.

Garner, called “the great” by commentator Dougie Critchley, created 0.4 chances in 90 – putting him in the top 15% of all midfielders in England.

Such numbers highlight his excellent ability to create carnage in attacking areas for those in front of him – something that is needed in the deeper positions in the current team.

Off the ball, the former United star was also very dominant last season – as evidenced by his 61% ground duels won and 3.2 tackles per 90. There’s a reason England manager Thomas Tuchel praises him as “young”. [Federico] Valverde” and journalist Rob Fleming described him as “one of the best in the Premier League”.

Both of the aforementioned figures put him in the top 10% of all players in the Premier League, and Santos could not come close to such figures in his 2025/26 season.

The need for a new ball-winning option is crucial at Old Trafford this summer, but the club could have saved themselves millions of pounds if they had kept Garner.

However, he will remain a constant presence at the Theater of Dreams and full faith will need to be shown in Santos to produce the goods under Carrick’s next campaign.