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Chelsea are reportedly preparing to compete with Manchester United for the signing of Danilo Santos this summer, following their agreement to sell Andrey Santos.

The Blues ended the previous Premier League season in tenth place after a turbulent campaign during which Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior were both dismissed.

Without European football in the upcoming season, Chelsea may benefit domestically in the Premier League, though it could limit their draw in the transfer market.

So far, only Marc Cucurella has departed among their core players, while the club has reinforced its squad by signing five new faces — Geovany Quenda from Sporting CP, Denner from Corinthians, Dastan Satpaev from Kairat Almaty, Emmanuel Emegha from Strasbourg, and Marco Palestra from Atalanta.

On Friday, Fabrizio Romano reported that Manchester United were closing in on the transfer of Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos after the Brazilian successfully completed his medical tests.

Romano stated on X: “Andrey Santos has signed his contract as a new Manchester United player. Next up: club statement.”

Now, Chelsea appear ready to disrupt Manchester United’s next midfield pursuit. According to Brazilian outlet FogãoNET, the Blues have initiated contact regarding a possible deal for Botafogo midfielder Danilo, who was part of Brazil’s World Cup squad.

Additionally, Chelsea are exploring options to strengthen their goalkeeping department, with Porto’s Diogo Costa emerging as a prime target. However, TSF has reported that Porto are ‘not keen on allowing the goalkeeper to leave’ this summer.

If negotiations with Porto fail, Chelsea could ‘activate his €60 million release clause’, with the London club said to be the ‘most inclined to invest’ in Costa among the European elite tracking him.

The report further explains: “Chelsea have been monitoring Costa for quite some time, even before the World Cup, but his exceptional displays for Portugal have intensified their interest. Xabi Alonso, now managing the Blues, is also a strong admirer of the 26-year-old.”

“Porto have yet to receive formal offers for Diogo Costa, and all indications suggest he will report to Francesco Farioli once his vacation ends. Nonetheless, Chelsea view the Porto goalkeeper as a top priority and remain determined to sign him ahead of the new season.”

Meanwhile, former Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt has expressed serious concerns about the Red Devils’ decision to sign Chelsea’s Andrey Santos, especially if he is expected to be a first-choice player under Michael Carrick next season.

Speaking to Paddy Power, Butt said: “If he’s brought in for £25–30 million, you’d understand it. But he’s not being signed for £50 million just to sit on the bench; he has to start. I’ve watched him a few times and nothing particularly stands out — he’s not exceptional on the ball or physically dominant.”

He continued: “It could either be a moment of genius from the recruitment team — maybe they believe he’s the next big talent, willing to pay £50 million early and throw him straight into action. But considering he only started 13 games for Chelsea last season, who finished 10th, it doesn’t exactly sound like a great signing to me. I really hope I’m wrong, and that he proves to be an outstanding player.”

Butt added: “He’s played barely 10 games. It’s a puzzling move — not one that fills me with confidence. We need midfielders who can make an immediate impact. I don’t like criticising young players before they’ve had a chance to show their worth, but this feels like a purchase based more on potential than proven quality.”