Manchester United Targets Mateus Fernandes After Ending Interest in Elliot Anderson

Manchester United have walked away from one expensive midfield chase and dived straight into another – this time with a far clearer sense of purpose.

The Premier League giants have cooled their interest in Elliot Anderson after baulking at Nottingham Forest’s £120–130 million demands. That saga is over. INEOS have drawn a line in the sand on fees and on being dragged into bidding wars.

Their attention has swung firmly to Mateus Fernandes.

From relegation fight to Old Trafford radar

Fernandes, one of the few bright spots in a West Ham side relegated to the Championship, has surged to the top of United’s midfield shortlist. His club’s drop into the second tier has not dulled his value; if anything, it has sharpened the scramble for his signature.

Tyrone Marshall, Chief Manchester United correspondent for the Manchester Evening News, set the tone early on June 11. Posting on X at 7:59am, he reported that United are “unwilling to pay £120million for Elliot Anderson and won’t be drawn into a bidding war,” adding that Mateus Fernandes now sits “at the top of the list.”

That list is starting to look ambitious. United already have an agreement in place with Atalanta for Ederson Silva, and now they are pushing hard for another dynamic midfielder, one who happens to share a national team dressing room with Bruno Fernandes.

The idea is obvious: build the next United midfield around energy, technique and a familiar Portuguese heartbeat.

Romano: “Official contact” and a bid in the works

Fabrizio Romano has now added fuel to the story. Speaking on his YouTube channel, the Italian journalist revealed that United have moved beyond admiration and into action.

“Manchester United are in official contact with the agent of the player,” Romano said, explaining that talks with Fernandes’ camp have already started “to start preparing a bid to West Ham.”

United, he stressed, are “for sure in conversations with Mateus Fernandes.”

The pressure is building on West Ham. Romano previously reported that the London club have fixed the 21-year-old’s price at £85 million after a meeting with his representatives, a figure that more than doubles the £38m plus £4m they originally paid.

Relegation has not forced a discount. It has triggered a sale.

A crowded race for a rising star

United are not alone in this chase, and that is where the story becomes more intriguing.

TalkSPORT’s Ben Jacobs has confirmed that Erik ten Hag’s side are already in talks “on the player side,” but he also lists a growing cast of elite suitors. Posting on X at 3:43pm on June 11, Jacobs said “movement” on Fernandes’ future is expected this month, with PSG and Arsenal showing “appreciation” and Real Madrid the “latest suitor to make contact.”

West Ham, he wrote, want “double the £38m+£4m they paid,” and despite that valuation, a sale is still expected.

So this is not a quiet, opportunistic swoop on a relegated club. It is a full-scale auction for one of Europe’s most in-demand young midfielders.

Real Madrid lurking. Arsenal circling. PSG watching closely. United trying to move first.

The race is on.

United’s pitch: project, price and Portugal

For United, the sales pitch is straightforward. Fernandes would walk into a midfield in transition, with a clear pathway to minutes and a chance to grow alongside Bruno Fernandes and, potentially, Ederson Silva.

TEAMtalk reported on May 14 that Mateus Fernandes is “extremely keen” on a move to Old Trafford. The idea of linking up with his Portugal teammate Bruno is said to appeal strongly, and the club’s renewed direction under INEOS adds another layer of attraction.

The question is whether United’s stance on fees survives the reality of this market. They refused to be dragged into a £120m fight for Anderson. West Ham want £85m for Fernandes. Arsenal, PSG and Real Madrid are all in the conversation.

United have made their move on the player side and opened “official contact” with his agent. A bid is being prepared. West Ham are braced. Europe’s heavyweights are watching.

Now comes the hard part: does Old Trafford still have the pull – and the financial conviction – to win a battle like this?