Carlo Ancelotti has made it clear that the door to the Brazil national team remains open for Andrey Santos, but the Manchester United midfielder will have to continue developing and proving himself at club level if he wants to become a regular and influential figure for the Seleção.
The 22-year-old midfielder has already attracted considerable attention from the Brazil setup and was selected by Ancelotti for the national team’s post-World Cup friendlies against Australia and India. The decision underlines the Italian manager’s belief in Santos as part of Brazil’s next generation, particularly at a time when Ancelotti has acknowledged that the national team needs to find and develop more midfielders.
Santos’ situation has become particularly interesting following his move to Manchester United. The Brazilian joined the Premier League giants after leaving Chelsea and arrived at Old Trafford with enormous expectations surrounding his potential. His transfer also came shortly after Casemiro’s departure, creating an obvious narrative around Santos potentially becoming one of the players expected to help fill the midfield void left by the experienced Brazilian.
That responsibility is significant.
Casemiro has been one of Brazil’s most important midfielders of the modern era, while he also became a major figure at Manchester United after arriving from Real Madrid. Replacing a player with that level of experience is never going to happen overnight, and Santos will need time to establish his own identity rather than simply being compared with his compatriot.
Ancelotti’s approach to Brazil’s rebuild has also created opportunities for younger players. Following Brazil’s 2026 World Cup campaign, the manager said the next stage of his work would involve searching for new players, particularly midfielders, while building a stronger connection with the younger generations coming through Brazilian football.
Santos fits directly into that rebuilding process.
The midfielder has already demonstrated qualities that make him attractive to Ancelotti. FIFA previously highlighted his versatility, explaining that Santos can operate in deeper midfield positions as well as further forward. His ability to contribute defensively while also making attacking runs has been one of the characteristics that have helped him stand out.
However, his move to Manchester United means the next stage of his development will be watched particularly closely.
According to recent reporting from Brazil, Santos has had limited playing time at Manchester United during the early part of the season, making five appearances with two starts and three substitute appearances for a total of 175 minutes at the time of the report. That lack of consistent minutes is one of the biggest challenges facing him as he attempts to establish himself at both club and international level.
For Ancelotti, regular competitive football is likely to be important when evaluating the next generation of Brazilian midfielders.
The Brazil manager has already demonstrated that reputation alone is not enough to guarantee selection. His decisions around the national team have repeatedly emphasized current form, physical condition and what players can contribute to the team at a particular moment. The clearest recent example was Neymar, who was left out of one Brazil squad because Ancelotti said the forward was not yet at full fitness, despite leaving the door open for his eventual return.
That approach means Santos will have to continue developing if he wants to become a permanent member of the Brazil midfield.
There is, however, considerable encouragement for the young midfielder. Ancelotti has already shown confidence in him. Santos was part of the Brazil squad selected after the World Cup, and Ancelotti has spoken about the importance of giving opportunities to younger players during the new cycle. The September squad contained eight debutants, demonstrating the manager’s willingness to look beyond established names.
Santos therefore has an opportunity that many young Brazilian midfielders would dream of.
His challenge is to make himself impossible to ignore.
At Manchester United, that means competing for minutes against established midfielders and demonstrating that he can handle the physical and tactical demands of Premier League football on a consistent basis. He will need to show composure in possession, improve his decision-making under pressure and continue developing his defensive positioning.
His ability to win duels could also become an important part of his game. Recent Brazilian reporting highlighted impressive defensive numbers from Santos during the previous Premier League season, including a 67.8 percent success rate in ground duels among midfielders who played at least 1,000 minutes and a 74 percent tackle success rate.
Those numbers provide an indication of why Brazil continues to see potential in him.
But statistics alone will not guarantee his place in the national team.
Santos needs to turn potential into consistent performances at one of the biggest clubs in world football. Manchester United provides him with an enormous platform, but it also means every performance is likely to receive significant attention.
The midfielder’s development could also become important for Brazil because the national team is entering a new era. Ancelotti has spoken about the need to renew the squad after the 2026 World Cup and specifically identified midfield as an area where Brazil needs to continue searching for solutions.
That could create a major opportunity for Santos.
Rather than waiting behind an established generation indefinitely, he now has the chance to become one of the players around whom Brazil’s midfield could be built in the future.
Santos himself has previously spoken about his desire to represent Brazil at a World Cup. FIFA reported in March that the midfielder said playing at the World Cup was his biggest dream and that he was pleased with Ancelotti’s confidence in him. He also explained that he had developed tactically, physically and technically since his first involvement with Brazil in 2023.
That development will now have to continue at Manchester United.
The pressure surrounding him is also increased by the Casemiro comparison. Santos has effectively been placed in a situation where his performances will naturally be measured against a Brazilian midfielder who spent years at the top level. But rather than attempting to become another Casemiro, Santos will need to establish his own style.
His versatility could help him do that.
He is capable of playing deeper, contributing defensively and making forward runs when opportunities appear. That combination gives him the possibility of becoming a modern box-to-box midfielder rather than simply operating as a traditional defensive midfielder.
For Manchester United, having a young Brazilian midfielder with that versatility could prove valuable over the long term.
For Brazil, his development could be even more important.
Ancelotti is attempting to build a team capable of competing during the next international cycle, and the manager has already indicated that younger players will be given opportunities. The September squad demonstrated that philosophy, with several new faces being introduced alongside more established players.
Santos is therefore not outside Ancelotti’s plans. Quite the opposite: his selection demonstrates that he remains part of the manager’s thinking.
The real issue is whether he can transform that opportunity into a permanent place.
That will depend largely on what happens at Manchester United.
If Santos can secure more regular playing time, perform consistently and demonstrate that he can control matches against high-level Premier League opposition, his position within the Brazil setup could become considerably stronger. If his club minutes remain limited, however, the competition for places in the national team could make it increasingly difficult for him to establish himself as an automatic starter.
Brazil possesses considerable midfield talent, and Ancelotti has already shown that he is actively searching for alternatives and younger players. Santos therefore cannot rely solely on his previous reputation or potential.
He has to keep improving.
For Manchester United supporters, that could ultimately be good news. The pressure to establish himself at club level may push Santos to develop the consistency and maturity required to become a more complete midfielder.
The next few months could therefore be extremely important.
Santos has already earned the trust of Ancelotti, secured his place in the post-World Cup Brazil setup and taken another major step in his career by joining Manchester United. The foundations are there, but his long-term status with Brazil will ultimately depend on what he produces on the pitch.
Ancelotti’s rebuilding project has created an opening for the young midfielder. Now Santos has to take advantage of it.
If he can establish himself at Manchester United, improve his consistency and continue developing the tactical, physical and technical qualities that have already attracted Brazil’s attention, he could become an increasingly important part of the Seleção’s future.
For now, the message is simple: the opportunity is there, but Santos must continue to prove that he deserves it.