Manchester United Targets Mateus Fernandes After Elliot Anderson Deal Falls Through
Manchester United have drawn a hard line in this summer’s midfield rebuild – and it has pushed Mateus Fernandes to the front of the queue.
INEOS have walked away from a move for Elliot Anderson after baulking at Nottingham Forest’s £130million valuation, a stance underlined on Tuesday morning by Manchester Evening News’ chief United correspondent Tyrone Marshall.
“Manchester United unwilling to pay £120million for Elliot Anderson and won’t be drawn into a bidding war,” Marshall wrote on X at 7:59am on June 11. “They want players who want to join them and, as it stands, they are focusing on other targets, with Mateus Fernandes at the top of the list #mufc.”
That shift in strategy has opened the door for West Ham United’s 21-year-old Portugal international, relegated to the Championship but suddenly at the centre of one of the window’s most expensive auctions.
United move from interest to action
Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that United’s interest has moved beyond scouting reports and internal discussions. Speaking on his YouTube channel, the Italian reporter detailed how the club have already opened formal dialogue with Fernandes’ camp.
“Manchester United are in official contact with the agent of the player,” Romano said. “Manchester United already started the conversation with the agent to start preparing a bid to West Ham, so Man Utd are for sure in conversations with Mateus Fernandes.
“So, we have to take this into consideration and then see how other clubs will react because there are more clubs, not only Man Utd, not only Real Madrid, so it’s going to be an interesting race surely.”
The message is clear: United are not just monitoring. They are preparing to move.
Earlier this month, Romano also revealed that West Ham have set a firm price. In a post on X at 7:04pm on June 8, he wrote: “Understand Matheus Fernandes price tag has been fixed by West Ham in a meeting with his camp: £85m. Manchester United in contact with player side, more clubs also attentive and keen.”
Relegation has not brought a fire sale. It has simply brought a number.
A crowded field for a rising midfielder
United are far from alone at the table. TalkSPORT’s Ben Jacobs has outlined a market forming quickly around Fernandes, with several of Europe’s elite circling.
Jacobs posted on X at 3:43pm on June 11: “Movement expected on Mateus Fernandes’ future this month. Manchester United already in talks on the player side. PSG and Arsenal also hold appreciation. Real Madrid the latest suitor to make contact. West Ham want double the £38m+£4m they paid, but despite this valuation as sale is expected.”
West Ham’s stance is blunt. They paid an initial £38m plus £4m in add-ons and now want roughly double that outlay, a figure that aligns with Romano’s £85m tag. Interest from Real Madrid, PSG and Arsenal gives them every reason to stand firm.
For United, the appeal is obvious. At 21, Fernandes already carries full Portugal international status and, crucially, a strong personal desire to make Old Trafford his next step. TEAMtalk reported on May 14 that the midfielder is “extremely keen” on a move to United, who already have a deal in place with Atalanta for Ederson Silva.
The lure of linking up with his Portugal teammate Bruno Fernandes is also understood to be a significant pull for the West Ham man.
INEOS lay down a new transfer marker
The contrast between the Anderson and Fernandes pursuits is striking. United refused to be dragged into a nine-figure auction for Anderson, turning their back on Forest’s demands and signalling a new discipline under INEOS. The message: they will pay big, but not blindly.
Fernandes tests that resolve. An £85m asking price for a 21-year-old midfielder from a relegated side is the kind of number that once would have dragged United into a frantic scramble. This time, they are trying to control the tempo – starting with the player, then moving to West Ham with a structured offer.
What happens next will say plenty about how far this new regime is willing to bend when a target they genuinely want sits within reach and Europe’s heavyweights are lining up alongside them.
One thing is already clear: Mateus Fernandes is no longer just a name on a shortlist. He is at the heart of United’s midfield plan, and the race for his signature is about to show whether Old Trafford can still win the battles that matter most.
