Manchester United are planning multiple additions to their midfield department this summer.
They have already secured an agreement with Atalanta for Ederson, and there could be more arrivals. Casemiro will leave on a free transfer when his contract expires on June 30, and Manuel Ugarte could head for the exit door too.
In an update on his YouTube channel, reputed journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that United have begun formal negotiations with the agent of West Ham United star Mateus Fernandes and have likewise contacted the Hammers.
However, they have no plans to pay ‘crazy money’ for the Portuguese ace and won’t meet the £85 million valuation. Instead, talks are ongoing to potentially restructure the deal by including add-ons.
Man Utd should not pay over the odds upfront
Arsenal have moved out of the race for the former Southampton man, while Real Madrid’s interest is ‘not advanced’ as United’s, as per Romano. Hence, the Red Devils have the clear upper hand, and the player is likewise giving the club his priority.
Fernandes, 21, may not be a household name at the moment, but he had a fabulous individual season with the Hammers. The Portuguese won almost six duels per Premier League game with three tackles and five recoveries.
He had a good passing accuracy of 87 percent, given the Hammers’ low possession stats. Fernandes also chipped in with seven goal contributions in the league. He is a player with huge potential, and United no doubt value him.
Still, the club should not pay over the odds upfront for the Sporting CP graduate. £85m does not appear realistic for a player who has just begun his career, but the benchmark has been set by Manchester City’s hefty £120m bid for Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, which was turned down.
Hence, United may have to pay close to that figure, though the initial fixed fee should be much less. In our view, the Red Devils should seek to negotiate an upfront package of £60-65m with the remainder covered in performance and appearance add-ons over the next few seasons.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com