Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta (left) and Manchester United manager Michael Carrick - both pics: Getty
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta (left) and Manchester United manager Michael Carrick - both pics: Getty
Manchester United have reportedly leapfrogged Premier League champions Arsenal in the race for West Ham United midfielder Mateus Fernandes, who's valued at £80 million.
Fernandes, 21, is coming off a superb season with Forest, scoring five times and assisting as many in 42 games across competitions. Three of those goals and four assists came in 36 appearances in the Premier League, where Vitor Pereira's side finished a lowly 16th.
However, Forest excelled in Europe, reaching the UEFA Europa League semi-finals, losing to domestic rivals and eventual winners Aston Villa 4-1 on aggregate after winning the first leg 1-0 at home.
Despite being contracted to The City Ground till 2030, Fernandes has attracted interest from England and abroad. Apart from the aforementioned Premier League duo, Real Madrid are also said to be in the race for his services.
However, as reported by Times Sport, a move to Old Trafford looks quite likely.
However, acquiring the Portugal international won't be cheap, as it could cost the Old Trafford side at least £80 million, especially with Jose Mourinho's Los Blancos also in the fray.
How many Manchester United and Arsenal players are at the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
Paris Saint-Germain v Arsenal FC - UEFA Champions League Final 2026 - Source: Getty
Paris Saint-Germain v Arsenal FC - UEFA Champions League Final 2026 - Source: Getty
The 2026 FIFA World Cup - which kicked off in Mexico on Thursday night - will feature a rich contingent of players from Premier League giants Arsenal and Manchester United.
The first 48-team World Cup is set to have as many 16 Gunners players, with four of them - Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze set to represent England, who are one of the top contenders for the title after an unbeaten qualifying campaign.
Overall, Gunners players will represent nine different countries at this summer's quadrennial event in North America, with England (4), Spain (3) and Brazil (2) being the most featured.
Manchester United won't be too far behind either, with 13 players set to feature for 10 different nations, with Portugal (Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Dalot) and England (Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford) set to have the biggest Red Devils contingent.
Overall, the Gunners are among the three most well represented clubs at the World Cup, behind Manchester City (19) and Bayern Munich (18). Paris Saint-Germain are joint-third followed by Barcelona (15).