Manchester United summer signing Andrey Santos has revealed his preferred position to manager Michael Carrick as he prepares for the new season at Old Trafford.
The 22-year-old midfielder says he prefers playing in a deeper role as a number six and hopes to emulate the impact of fellow Brazilian Casemiro, who left Manchester United this summer after the expiration of his contract.
Santos joined the Red Devils this summer from Chelsea in a deal reportedly worth £48 million, arriving as part of Carrick’s efforts to strengthen Manchester United’s midfield.
With Casemiro departing, the club have brought in Santos and Youri Tielemans as midfield reinforcements ahead of the new campaign.
Speaking about his preferred role, Santos made it clear that he wants to operate from a deeper midfield position and contribute both defensively and in possession.
“Casemiro for me, it’s like a legend, you know. So now he’s gone out. Now I’m here, so I feel that I can do like Casemiro did in the last season and I’m here to do it,” Santos said, as reported by Centredevils on X.
“My qualities, I like and prefer playing more deep like a number six. So I try to help my teammates without the ball and with the ball I love breaking the lines.”
Casemiro is widely regarded as one of the leading defensive midfielders of the modern era. He enjoyed the most successful period of his career at Real Madrid before spending four seasons with Manchester United.
During his time at Old Trafford, the Brazilian made 160 appearances for the 20-time English champions, scoring 26 goals and providing 14 assists.
Now 34, Casemiro has joined MLS giants Inter Miami this summer, where he will reunite with Lionel Messi.
For Santos, the move to Manchester United represents an opportunity to establish himself at a major Premier League club after struggling for regular opportunities at Chelsea.
The promising midfielder made 47 appearances for Chelsea before completing his move to Old Trafford.
With the new season approaching, Santos will now look to prove that he can fill the void left by Casemiro while bringing his own qualities to Manchester United’s midfield.
His preference for the number six position could give Carrick another option in the heart of midfield as the Red Devils begin preparations for the new campaign.
