Manchester United have landed the midfielder they badly needed after agreeing a Sh50 million deal with Chelsea for Brazilian star Andrey Santos, ending their search for a new engine in the middle of the park.
The two Premier League clubs reached an agreement after negotiations gathered pace in recent hours, with United moving quickly after making their interest known over the weekend.
The deal will see United pay an initial Sh48 million, while a further Sh2 million will be paid through what have been described as "achievable" add-ons. Chelsea have also negotiated a 10 per cent sell-on clause as part of the agreement.
Santos has been cleared to undergo a medical before completing his move to Old Trafford. Fellow Brazilian Ederson is also expected to have a medical ahead of his Sh35 million transfer from Italian side Atalanta following Brazil's elimination from the World Cup.
The move comes as United prepare to welcome their senior players back for pre-season training on Thursday, with the club keen to reinforce a midfield that had become one of its biggest concerns ahead of the new campaign.
Strengthening the centre of the pitch became a priority after Casemiro left the club when his contract expired. United's plans were dealt another setback after Manuel Ugarte suffered cruciate knee ligament damage, ruling the Uruguay international out for an extended period despite earlier expectations that he could leave this summer.
Before turning to Santos, United explored other options in the market. A move for Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson failed to progress after it became clear the midfielder would cost more than Sh110 million.
The club also considered West Ham's Mateus Fernandes, but Tottenham completed the signing after making a guaranteed Sh85 million offer, forcing United to look elsewhere for reinforcements.
With Kobbie Mainoo still away on World Cup duty with England, United were facing the prospect of opening their pre-season schedule against Wrexham in Helsinki on July 18 with Mason Mount as Michael Carrick's only recognised senior central midfielder.
Santos is now set to become Chelsea's third major departure of the summer after Marc Cucurella joined Real Madrid and Tyrique George completed a move to Everton.