Troy Deeney has claimed Manchester United should have asked for Andrey Santos as part of the deal which saw Alejandro Garnacho join Chelsea.
Garnacho joined Chelsea in a deal worth £40m in the summer, and could be in line for his first start on Saturday as he returns to Old Trafford.
The Argentine has looked good in his two substitute appearances so far, and will no doubt have a point to prove against his former club.
Man United should have asked for Santos as part of Garnacho deal
Garnacho made it clear he only wanted to join Chelsea in the summer, and given the price players in the same position of a similar quality went for, the Blues will argue they got good value for money.
The 21-year-old will compete with Jamie Gittens to start on the left wing in Enzo Maresca’s system, and so far Garnacho has shown more than the England under-21 international.
There was talk of Tyrique George potentially being involved as part of the deal, but Deeney believes United should have asked for Santos.
“Andrey Santos, in my opinion, would be their best midfielder,” he told The Football Exchange.
“By a country mile. I said it to you. That would be one, if I’m Man United I would’ve said we will give you Garnacho, let us loan him with an obligation to buy next year.
“I would have made it more difficult for Garnacho to leave.”
Brazilian midfielder making an impact
Santos cost the Blues just £13m back in January 2023, and after a successful season at Strasbourg last time out, he’s now an important part of the Chelsea squad.
Former Blues Ramires believes Santos could become a key player for the club, although the 21-year-old has yet to start a game this season.
However, given the amount of games Chelsea will play, there will be plenty of opportunities for Santos, and it will be down to him to make the most of them.
