Jason Wilcox under fire as staff at Man United rivals believe they overpaid by £25m

Rivals believe Manchester United overpaid by £25m for Andrey Santos, who cost £50m from Chelsea in the summer; Chelsea insiders thought he was worth only half that fee.

Manchester United's summer transfer business is under scrutiny from Premier League rivals, with director of football Jason Wilcox facing criticism over the £50m signing of Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos from Chelsea. According to The Athletic, some close to Chelsea believe Santos was worth only £25m, making the fee a great sale for the Blues.

United spent just over £150m on three midfield arrivals this summer, adding Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba alongside Santos. While the spending initially drew praise for adding depth, all three have struggled early in the season. Baleba arrived with an ankle injury and suffered a hamstring problem in the Champions League win over Roma, Tielemans has shown weaknesses in his new surroundings, and manager Michael Carrick does not appear to be a major fan of Santos.

Santos, 22, made just 47 senior appearances for Chelsea before the move. The report notes that while the fee was considered appropriate for an inflated market, United's strategy of quantity over quality reflects their financial constraints and the need to rebuild depth following their return to the Champions League.