Matheus Fernandes joins Tottenham for £85m (Image: Getty)
Manchester United will have to look elsewhere in their pursuit of new midfield reinforcements after Tottenham rejected a bid to match West Ham’s £85m bid for youngster Matheus Fernandes. Spurs are set to sign the 21-year-old after agreeing to meet the Hammers’ assessment, but United were not ready to do so. It also meant Manchester City missed out on their top two targets this summer, having seen them break out of a £116m deal with Nottingham Forest to sign Elliott Anderson.
United completed a £35m deal to sign Ederson from Atalanta, but are still in dire need of an elite midfielder following Casemiro’s departure at the end of last season. Express Sport looks at seven options United could take to fix their midfield…
United have had their eye on the 22-year-old Bournemouth midfielder for much of this season and his stock has steadily risen while other targets have been overlooked.
Scott boasts Premier League pedigree and had a fantastic spell with the Cherries, earning him a spot in England’s pre-World Cup training camp. His impressive form has reportedly caught the attention of Arsenal.
Bournemouth are keen to sign the former Bristol City midfielder in a new contract this summer, which could include a release clause like they did with Antoine Semenyo 12 months ago.
Semenyo then left for Manchester City midway through the season, but United are in dire need of reinforcements in midfield and may not be able to afford to wait.
The France international is the highest-profile player on United’s radar and is a player the club have been keeping an eye on for several months, with the club aware that a move away from Real Madrid this summer is not entirely out of the question.
Despite a spat with captain Federico Valverde towards the end of last season, Real bosses continue to insist he is not going anywhere. Manager Jose Mourinho also wants the 26-year-old to stay.
Still, United will be in the race if Choameni becomes available. That prospect seems remote at the moment, but that could change if Real Madrid are able to sign a high-profile midfielder this summer.
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Alex Scott praised by Manchester United (Image: Getty)
Baleva will likely become the third midfielder United have let go due to a high asking price in the past 12 months. The club had expressed interest in signing him a year ago but were dissuaded by Brighton’s £100m valuation.
Interest from United remains strong, but there have been few notable developments so far this summer. Brighton have shown little appetite to significantly lower their asking price, despite the 22-year-old enduring a difficult season on the south coast.
Interest in Wharton has cooled considerably. The England international has many suitors, but there is a feeling at Old Trafford that he is too similar to Coby Mainu to be able to work effectively together in a two-man midfield.
Felix Nmeka has been linked with Manchester United (Image: Getty)
There’s someone in Numeka who respects Carrington City football director Jason Wilcox. Wilcox played a key role in City’s academy during Nmeka’s 14-year stay at the club as a youngster.
The Borussia Dortmund midfielder was reportedly on the radar of a number of Premier League clubs, including United, but his impact at the World Cup waned as the tournament progressed, with his World Cup campaign disappointing as he was substituted at half-time when Germany lost on penalties to Paraguay.
United were interested in Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali earlier this summer but have so far shown no desire to join Tottenham in the race for his signature.
On the more affordable market, they are also eyeing Sander Berge from Fulham and American midfielder Tyler Adams, who plays alongside Scott at Bournemouth.
