Andrey Santos back on Newcastle’s radar as Chelsea name their price - The Guardian

Newcastle United have dug up another name from the past as they turn their attention towards Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos.

Following the sale of Sandro Tonali to Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle are stepping up their search for a new central midfielder.

Lamine Camara was long thought to be the priority in this regard, but recent reports have suggested that the Magpies are ready to look elsewhere, with Burnley's Lesley Ugochukwu having been mentioned.

Another player being linked with the Magpies now is Chelsea's 22-year-old Brazilian midfielder, Andrey Santos.

According to The Guardian, Santos is being tracked by Manchester United, and the Red Devils are keen to make a move for the £50m-rated star, but Newcastle are also monitoring the situation.

Newcastle missed out on Andrey Santos in 2023

Newcastle were keen on Santos before his move to Chelsea in 2023, and it seems that they have kept an eye on his development at Stamford Bridge. Santos had loan spells at Nottingham Forest and Strasbourg before making 27 appearances for the Blues last season.

Despite not being part of Brazil's World Cup squad, the 22-year-old has six caps for his country already.

Reports are suggesting that Manchester United's priority in midfield is Bournemouth's Alex Scott, which is good news for Newcastle as they are also thought to be keen on Johan Manzambi, but their focus on Scott is keeping them away from that deal for now.

Let's get Manzambi over the line first

Whether Newcastle accelerate their interest in Santos remains to be seen, but we'd suspect that if Newcastle manage to land Johan Manzambi, they will likely end their interest in the Brazilian.

Newcastle are, very wisely, keeping their options open this summer after being pipped to the signing of Victor Munoz when everything looked to be wrapped up. 

Andrey Santos would be an exciting signing, but although he's a very different profile to Manzambi, our hopes remain that we secure the signing of the Swiss international.