Manchester United are all in on West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes, but if a deal cannot be done, there are other options for the Reds to consider. Watching their arch rivals Manchester City go through the painstaking process of negotiating with Nottingham Forest for Elliot Anderson has seen Manchester United re-evaluate their transfer plans. With Atalanta's Ederson set to join after the World Cup, the Reds are wanting to add another midfielder to their ranks.
Anderson deal off, Fernandes is priority
Anderson was the dream option for the Reds, but having seen a total bid of £120m rejected by Forest this month, United know they are not serious contenders for the England international at this stage. Instead, the recruitment team have turned their attention to West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes. He is now United's No.1 midfield target. Being relegated in successive seasons with Southampton and then the Hammers has not fazed the Reds. Fernandes is a good age at 21 and has already shown he can perform in the Premier League. His five goals and five assists last season showed strong potential too.
The perfect combination for United is young players with Premier League experience. Fernandes ticks both boxes, and considering West Ham need to sell to abide by Financial Fair Play rules, there is confidence that a deal is there to be done. Of course, United have felt confident of completing deals in recent years, and ultimately those have fallen through. The Reds are not naive to put all their eggs in one basket, and there will be alternatives on their radar should the Fernandes deal prove to be unacquirable.
Felix Nmecha emerges as alternative
One such alternative is said to be Felix Nmecha. The 25-year-old, previously of the City academy, has enjoyed a good season at Borussia Dortmund, scoring five goals and bagging three assists. Nmecha also introduced himself to the world stage this month as he bagged a goal and an assist in Germany's 7-1 thrashing of Curacao. Tonight, Nmecha will be hoping to impress again as Germany take on Ivory Coast in Toronto. Among those thought to be observing the midfielder are United, City and Real Madrid.
Bild reported recently that a £104m bid would be needed if Dortmund were to sell Nmecha. However, TEAMtalk understands that price tag has been slashed in half to £52m, with a deal deemed 'very realistic'. Considering United's new approach to transfers, they would be unlikely to splash £104m on any player overseas. However, should £52m be deemed acceptable, that will interest the Reds. United were burned the last time they splashed big money on a Dortmund player, but if his price tag has dropped to £52m, it will only increase if Nmecha continues to impress at the World Cup.
Like the Fernandes deal, the Reds will be confident they could sign the German international. Dortmund's model is to buy players at a low price and sell them on for a profit. They are unlikely to dig their heels in and make negotiations a chore. For now, Nmecha is a player lingering in the background for United. They are still focused on Fernandes, and there is no suggestion that West Ham will be able to stop the midfielder leaving if he wishes to go. But should the German international impress tonight, a few more eyes could be left fixed on Nmecha.
