Man United want to sign Mateus Fernandes from West Ham and there is a chance a deal is done before the end of this month.
Mateus Fernandes
Mateus Fernandes waits to see where he will end up next season
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The news that Tottenham are making a move for a player Manchester United have spent several weeks looking at will bring a few memories back to last summer, when the same thing happened with Bryan Mbeumo.
On that occasion, Brentford were in a good place to drive a hard bargain and the forward made it clear he only wanted Old Trafford, rather than a reunion with Thomas Frank at Spurs.
This summer, Mateus Fernandes is the player at the centre of a potential bidding war between the clubs that contested the 2024 Europa League final. Tottenham won that day after a miserable campaign for both clubs, but while United recovered last year, Spurs did not.
They are being aggressive in the transfer window under Roberto De Zerbi, however, and the news they have their sights set on Fernandes and Newcastle's Sandro Tonali is evidence of that. There is no doubt that United have more to offer at the moment, having finished third and secured a return to the Champions League, but first, they would have to come up with the cash to have a bid accepted,
They have already stepped away from efforts to sign Elliot Anderson because he has become too expensive, and aren't keen on matching West Ham's £80million valuation for Fernandes.
There is a reason for United playing it cool at the moment, and that is the belief that West Ham need cash before June 30 to balance the books and avoid the risk of breaching Premier League or EFL financial regulations. They posted a £104million loss last year, and that financial report made it clear player sales were necessary, even without relegation.
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The drop into the Championship really is a worst-case scenario at the London Stadium and they will have to raise money from sales this summer. It's why winger Crysencio Summerville is another player United are looking at this summer.
But if United are hoping to try and get a bargain for Fernandes later in June, they really need a clear run at the player and a desire from the 21-year-old to join the club. If Tottenham become serious rivals for his signature, then it might create a bidding war, giving West Ham exactly what they want.
This is a deal United are still pushing for and they probably remain favourites to land Fernandes, but doing the deal on their terms will be more difficult if competition emerges.