📅 July 20, 2026

Santos and Tielemans Unveiled as Pre-Season Begins and World Cup Ends in Heartbreak for Martínez

Andrey Santos completes £50m move from Chelsea

United completed the signing of Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos from Chelsea on Monday, July 13, for £48m guaranteed plus £2m in add-ons. The 22-year-old signed a long-term contract through June 2031 (with a club option for a further year), Carrick’s first marquee permanent signing of the summer.

Youri Tielemans officially unveiled

United confirmed the signing of Belgium captain Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa on July 14, triggering his £35m release clause. The 29-year-old, who won the Europa League with Villa the season before, signed a five-year deal through 2031, the second major midfield addition of the window and a real statement of intent.

Ederson deal officially confirmed dead

By July 15, Fabrizio Romano and Atalanta director Cristiano Giuntoli both confirmed the Ederson move was off entirely, with no active talks continuing, closing the door on a deal first agreed back on June 2. All eyes were already on Santos and Tielemans by that point anyway.

Pre-season opens with defeat to Wrexham

United’s pre-season tour began July 18 with a 0-1 loss to Wrexham at Helsinki’s Olympic Stadium. Sam Smith’s tap-in from an O’Brien cross was the only goal, handing Wrexham their first win of their own pre-season. Rough start, but pre-season results are pre-season results.

World Cup final heartbreak for Martínez

Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the World Cup final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium, Ferran Torres scoring the winner in the 106th minute. Argentina’s Lisandro Martínez was withdrawn before half-time with an apparent muscle problem, ending his tournament early. Despite the injury and the final defeat, Martínez, recovering from a February 2025 ACL rupture at the start of the year, was named to the World Cup’s Team of the Tournament, the only United player selected. Bittersweet way to cap an incredible comeback year.

Fourth summer signing and a stadium milestone

On July 20, United confirmed the signing of 18-year-old Tottenham winger Tynan Thompson for a reported £8m including bonuses, the club’s fourth summer arrival after Santos, Tielemans, and free-transfer goalkeeper Karl Darlow. The same date marked the scheduled Trafford Council vote on final approval for the New Trafford stadium project, ahead of an eight-week public consultation beginning July 28.