Gerrard says United's £50m midfield signing falls short

Steven Gerrard, speaking as a pundit, has written off Andrey Santos after the 22‑year‑old completed just 83 minutes of Premier League action for Manchester United. Santos arrived at Old Trafford in a £50m move this summer from Chelsea, having spent the previous season on loan at Strasbourg and featuring only as a bit‑part player.

Midfield rebuild and competing ambitions

United’s summer spending aimed to overhaul a midfield that had struggled for consistency. Alongside Santos, the club secured Youri Tielemans for £35m and Carlos Baleba for £65m, signalling a desire to field world‑class players capable of challenging for the Premier League and the Champions League every weekend.

Baleba impressed off the bench on his debut against Tottenham on Saturday, despite missing the season start through injury. Tielemans, however, has looked suspect alongside Kobbie Mainoo, who Gerrard feels is still far from world‑level.

Limited impact and Gerrard’s verdict

Santos has not started a Premier League match since United’s opening‑day defeat to Hull City, his only other start this season coming in the 3‑2 Carabao Cup loss to Brighton. Gerrard argued that a £50m signing must be able to perform consistently in the league and Europe, not merely in cup games.

“I’m not sure Andrey Santos was the right signing for Manchester United at £50m,” Gerrard said on The Overlap. “Your midfield players have got to be world‑class, consistently, because when it comes to the business end you’re competing against Arsenal, PSG, Real Madrid and Barcelona.”

He added that while Santos is a good player, he is “not a Manchester United player” and would likely be exposed against top European midfielders. Gerrard praised Bruno Fernandes as the sole world‑class midfielder at United, but warned the rest of the unit is “way off that level”.