Manchester United have completed the first piece of their midfield puzzle with Ederson arriving from Atalanta after the World Cup, but the Reds want at least one more midfielder. Elliot Anderson was a dream addition until Nottingham Forest priced them out, leaving West Ham's Mateus Fernandes at the top of United's wishlist with an £80m price tag. Another option is Bournemouth's Alex Scott, priced at £60m. MEN Sport compares the duo to see who suits United best.
Styles of Play
Fernandes and Scott offer different qualities. Fernandes is a defensive midfielder; according to Who Scored, he averaged 2.9 tackles per game last season compared to Scott's 1.6. They conceded similar fouls (Fernandes 1.4, Scott 1.2 per game) and both averaged one interception per game. However, Scott was dribbled past less (0.6 per game vs Fernandes' 1.1), though Fernandes played for a struggling West Ham side. In passing, Fernandes made 43.4 passes per game with an 87.5% completion rate, versus Scott's 37.6 passes and 84.9% completion.
DataMB figures show Fernandes is a closer alternative to Casemiro in forward passes, key passes, and progressive passing, as well as duels won and possession won. Fernandes also ranked in the top ten Premier League players for ground covered (279.3km), while Anderson led with 318.6km.
Coaches' Praise
Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola praised Scott in October: "He's playing very well, and I hope we can keep him in this spot. This is the first long spell without injuries... I feel he's enjoying playing." England manager Thomas Tuchel added: "Alex was on the list of 55... the reaction of him was outstanding... that was a close call."
Fernandes' former coach at Southampton, Simon Rusk, told Sky Sports: "That's no surprise that his tackling stats are very high. He saw himself as more of an all-round midfield player, more of a No.8. He wanted to run."
Verdict
Scott is a promising midfielder but offers a similar profile to Kobbie Mainoo, making a £60m investment questionable. Fernandes makes more sense as a Casemiro replacement, though he carries risk—he was relegated in both of his last two seasons. His attributes—defensive stats, passing, and engine—suit United's needs. At £80m, he would consume a significant portion of United's budget, a factor the club must weigh.
