Scholes and Butt raise concern over £50m Man Utd signing

Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt have both questioned whether Manchester United are in a position to spend £50 million on Andrey Santos as Michael Carrick closes in on his first summer signing.

The Brazilian midfielder is set to leave Chelsea for Old Trafford in a package worth around £50m, with personal terms already understood to have been agreed.

United moved quickly after missing out on top midfield target Mateus Fernandes, who joined Tottenham from West Ham for £85m. Santos then became a priority, but two members of the Class of 92 have concerns about the timing and cost of the deal.

Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, Scholes questioned whether Santos has shown enough to justify such a significant investment.

“Where’ve they seen him play enough games?” Scholes asked. “United aren’t in the position to be buying players for the future at this point.”

Santos joined Chelsea in January 2023 but did not make his debut until June 2025 after loan spells with Nottingham Forest and Strasbourg.

The 22-year-old made 43 appearances across all competitions last season, although he was largely used as a rotation player.

For Scholes, the concern is that United need immediate impact rather than another long-term project.

“At this point he’ll have to start, they’ve got nobody else,” he said.

Butt shares that concern, particularly with Carrick preparing for his first full season as permanent United manager.

“He’s young and he’s for the future,” Butt said. “It’s a surprise because we’ve been looking at big hitters coming in but we’re looking at his potential.”

The former United midfielder believes Santos will need to adapt immediately if he is expected to replace Casemiro.

“The big thing for me is if he’s been brought in to come and start for us, United and Carrick don’t have time to let people bed in.”

However, Butt also made clear that he rates the Brazilian’s ability.

“He’s a powerful lad, he’s got legs and he’s decent with the ball,” he said, describing Santos as an all-round midfielder without one obvious standout quality.

Former Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole has offered a more positive assessment of the transfer.

Cole believes Santos struggled for regular starts at Stamford Bridge because Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez were ahead of him in the midfield pecking order.

“He’s been brilliant whenever he did play,” Cole said. “I had hoped he’d stayed at Chelsea but it’s a real good signing.”

Santos should have a clearer route to regular football at United following Casemiro’s departure. The question is whether he can immediately justify the £50m investment.

United are expected to finalise Santos’ arrival as Carrick continues rebuilding his midfield.

With Casemiro gone and limited options available, the Brazilian could be asked to play a major role immediately. His first months at Old Trafford will show whether United have signed a £50m project or a midfielder ready to transform their team now.

Are Scholes and Butt right to question the deal, or is Andrey Santos exactly what Manchester United need?