Manchester United have suffered a major setback in their pursuit of West Ham United midfielder Matheus Fernandes.
United have made Fernandes their next target after agreeing a deal for Brazil international Ederson. However, they are reluctant to pay his £80 million valuation.
Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid are also interested in the Portuguese.
Spanish outlet AS now claim that Fernandes prefers to join Tottenham. He thinks he would have a better chance of growing at the north London side than elsewhere.
It remains to be seen whether Spurs can afford to sign both Fernandes and Sandro Tonali in the same window.
They would have to spend close to £200m to sign the duo — a huge outlay for a side without Champions League football.
United should consider Edouardo Camavinga as a Fernandes alternative
Fernandes enjoyed an incredible season with West Ham last season, but spending £80m on him would represent a huge risk.
He has spent just two seasons in the Premier League and has yet to play for an elite club, raising doubts over whether he is suited for Man United.
The Red Devils are better off signing Real Madrid midfielder Edouardo Camavinga.
Madrid are open to selling the Frenchman to fund a move for Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez — their primary target.
Camavinga has struggled for consistency at Madrid, but still has the quality to flourish at United.
The 23-year-old ranked in higher percentiles than Fernandes for duels and possession won last term, highlighting his defensive superiority over the West Ham star.
Camavinga also outranked him for progressive carries, forward passes, progressive passes and key passes, suggesting he is a more well-rounded midfielder than Fernandes.
The France international still has three years left on his current deal, but could be available for a lesser fee than Fernandes with Madrid pushing for his exit.
Stats from datamb.com