Manchester United are now advancing to sign a £65m Premier League star, who has emerged as a 'high priority' target for the summer transfer window.
Man Utd stepping up pursuit of "exceptional" midfielder
talkSPORT's Alex Crook has confirmed there are a plethora of midfielders on Man United's shortlist ahead of the summer transfer window, but Brighton's Carlos Baleba stands out above the rest.
The reporter said: "Wharton's range of passing is terrific but we've already got Bruno Fernandes who can do that. I guess if you're looking for a combination of the two - Baleba and Wharton - that would be Anderson or Tonali, so it will be fascinating to see which of those players United stumble upon.
"The nagging sense in my mind, when you look at what happened last summer and again they made enquiries in January, is that Baleba has always been their number one target from that list of players."
With Casemiro set to exit Old Trafford upon the expiration of his contract this summer, bringing in a defensive midfielder will be very important, and Baleba could be a like-for-like replacement, having predominantly featured in a deeper role this season.
However, Man United are also keen to bring in a midfielder with more of an attacking focus, according to a report from Sports Boom, which states they are now advancing to sign West Ham United star Mateus Fernandes.
West Ham United's Mateus Fernandes celebrates scoring their first goal with teammates -1
The Red Devils, and thus sporting director Jason Wilcox, have identified Fernandes as a 'high priority' transfer target, and the fact they are making progress in their pursuit of the midfielder is a blow for Arsenal, as the Gunners believe he would be the 'ideal' addition to their midfield.
However, a deal could be on the expensive side, with Nuno's side set to hold out for a fee of around €65m - €75m (£56m - £65m).
Fernandes impressing in debut campaign at West Ham
The Hammers are at serious risk of being relegated to the Championship, but the 21-year-old has been impressing during his debut campaign at the London Stadium on a personal level, picking up three goals and three assists in 27 Premier League outings.
One of those assists came in the Irons' 3-2 victory against Burnley in November, in what was a fantastic all-round display, with the Portuguese maestro making three key passes and winning four duels.
Indeed, the youngster is also capable of pitching in defensively, having averaged 3.0 tackles per 90 in the Premier League this season, which is more than any other West Ham midfielder, and an average FotMob match rating of 7.27 is the highest in the squad.
As such, it is exciting news that Man United are making progress in their pursuit of Fernandes, who has been lauded as "exceptional" by scout Ben Mattinson, but they should bring in a more defensive-minded midfielder alongside the former Southampton man.
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