Manchester United’s new signing Andrey Santos earned praise from supporters after an impressive debut in the club’s 1-0 pre-season defeat to Wrexham in Helsinki.
According to The Sun on July 18, 2026, the 22-year-old Brazilian midfielder was named in Michael Carrick’s starting lineup following his reported £50 million move from Chelsea. Santos partnered Mason Mount in midfield and delivered a composed display despite United’s defeat.
Santos impressed with his composure in possession, defensive contributions and passing, finishing the match with the highest passing accuracy of any player while creating two scoring chances. He was substituted at half-time but left a positive impression on fans, many of whom praised his work rate, ball recovery and calmness under pressure.
His performance mirrored his previous campaign, during which he recorded the Premier League’s highest ground duel success rate among midfielders at 68 percent.
Former Manchester United academy player Sam Smith scored the game’s only goal in the 39th minute to secure victory for Wrexham.
Santos is one of three midfielders recruited by Carrick this transfer window, alongside Belgium international Youri Tielemans and Colombian youngster Cristian Orozco, as United continue preparations for the new season.
