Real Madrid expect Manchester United to land the signature of West Ham United midfielder Mateus Fernandes this summer, according to The Sun.
The Red Devils have already secured an agreement to sign Atalanta midfielder Ederson, and he is expected to formally join the club next month.
The club are also keen on landing another marquee midfielder, and The Sun claim that United are in pole position to secure the services of Fernandes from West Ham.
Premier League holders Arsenal have already cooled their pursuit of the Portuguese.
Real Madrid have recently been linked with him, but are unlikely to make a formal approach, given that United’s interest in the 21-year-old is ‘already advanced’.
West Ham want £80 million for their prized asset, but United hope to strike a compromise on the price tag after the Hammers’ relegation to the Championship.
Fernandes poised to join Man Utd this summer
The Sporting CP graduate had a productive debut campaign with the Hammers. He won six duels and three tackles per outing and also made five recoveries on average.
The midfielder contributed in the final third with seven goal involvements, and he was impressive with his distribution too, completing an impressive 87 percent of his passes.
Fernandes is just 21 and should only get better with age and experience. United have made an early move for the Portuguese and have put themselves in the front seat to sign him.
The big question remains whether they can secure a discount on the price tag. West Ham obviously need to recoup funds to offset financial losses over the past few seasons.
The return to the Championship means they need a few lucrative player sales. Fernandes is their most valuable player, and United could eventually secure him for a lesser fee.
A £60m deal would represent good business for the Red Devils. With no competition from elsewhere, United may take time to negotiate with the Hammers for Fernandes.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com