Manchester United start new signing Andrey Santos in pre-season loss to Wrexham

Manchester United start new signing Andrey Santos in pre-season loss to Wrexham

Andrey Santos made his Manchester United debut on Saturday, 18 July, as the club opened its pre-season campaign with a 1-0 defeat to Championship side Wrexham at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki. The Brazilian midfielder, who joined from Chelsea at the start of the week, featured in a starting XI that saw Michael Carrick utilize his strongest available players before making wholesale changes at the interval.

Santos, a 22-year-old who arrived for a fee reported as either £48million or £50million, operated at the base of the midfield alongside Mason Mount. His introduction follows a midfield revamp by INEOS after the departure of Casemiro, which also included the signing of Youri Tielemans. However, Tielemans was unavailable for the trip to Finland as he, along with other squad members, featured at the 2026 World Cup.

The match was played in front of 20,000 spectators in the Finnish capital. Early in the contest, Santos was active, clearing the ball after Tom Heaton failed to gather under pressure. While he was left on his backside by Lewis O’Brien eight minutes into the game, the resulting chance for Wrexham was flagged for offside. Santos later contributed a sliding block on O’Brien and maintained a busy presence throughout the first half.

According to data from Sofascore, Santos recorded 55 touches—the second-most for United behind Harry Maguire's 58. He attempted 42 passes with a 93% accuracy rate, registering two key passes and winning four of six duels. He also recorded two interceptions and two tackles, although he was unsuccessful in his only dribble attempt.

Wrexham appeared sharper than the Red Devils, having already played a pre-season friendly against Wisla Krakow in Poland. The Welsh side threatened when Bailey Cadamarteri took the ball from Ayden Heaven on the edge of the box. United's primary chance of the first half came in the 24th minute when Joshua Zirkzee sent a shot wide.

The game's only goal arrived in the 39th minute. Moments after Sam Smith inadvertently headed a Mason Mount corner against his own crossbar, Smith found himself unmarked at the far post. After a low ball from Lewis O’Brien appeared to go through the legs of captain Harry Maguire, Smith finished with a tap-in to give Wrexham a 1-0 lead.

At half-time, Michael Carrick replaced 21 of the 22 players, fielding a side composed entirely of academy products. Only Wrexham's Aaron James remained on the pitch. The second-half United side was captained by Tyler Fletcher and included Shea Lacey and Toby Collyer. This youthful squad dominated possession but struggled to create clear-cut chances against a Wrexham side that introduced experienced players such as Conor Coady and Kieffer Moore.

Wrexham continued to threaten, with Radek Vitek making a save to deny Davis Keillor-Dunn. United managed their first shot on target in the 78th minute when Ethan Wheatley prodded a cross from Harry Amass goalwards, though Dan Ward made the save. In the final minute of stoppage time, Dan Gore appealed for a penalty after hitting the deck, but the request was waved away.

Following the match, Michael Carrick told MUTV that the priority was getting through the first game and looking for positives, noting that the squad had only been back together for about 10 days.

Regarding the new signing, Carrick said: There's loads of little positives. Him and Mason connected really well. Just a week in, the sharp little movements come as you progress through the weeks of training. He's getting into the rhythm.

Before the game, Carrick had also praised the Brazilian's integration, stating:

"He’s settled in really well, he’s a fantastic character. He’s settled in so quickly and he’s buzzing to be here, you can see that."

Michael Carrick, head coach, via southwalesargus.co.uk

Manchester United have five pre-season matches remaining before their Premier League campaign begins against Hull on August 22. Their next fixture is scheduled for July 24 against Rosenborg in Trondheim.