Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes, who has been valued at £80 million by the Hammers. The 21-year-old Portuguese international previously played under Ruben Amorim at Sporting CP before moving to Southampton in 2024 and then to West Ham.
Amorim, who recently left Sporting to join Manchester United, had praised Fernandes highly before his departure from the Portuguese club. Speaking to A Bola, Amorim said: 'What we lost is a player. A young man with a lot of value who, in my opinion, has the characteristics to be a great player.' He added that the club wanted to keep Fernandes but respected his decision to move.
Fernandes joined Southampton for an undisclosed fee but could not prevent their relegation to the Championship. He then moved to West Ham for £38 million plus £4 million in add-ons, but the Hammers have since been relegated as well. Fernandes is now seeking a return to the Premier League, with United and Arsenal both monitoring his situation.
United's midfield is a priority for reinforcement following the departure of Casemiro, and manager Michael Carrick is keen to add quality ahead of Champions League football. Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo are the current mainstays, but Carrick is reportedly targeting a statement signing such as Fernandes, alongside other targets like Ederson, Elliot Anderson, Aurelian Tchouameni, or Sandro Tonali.
Southampton hold a 15% sell-on clause from any transfer of Fernandes, meaning they could receive up to £12 million if the deal goes through for the full £80 million. Fernandes made his senior debut for Portugal earlier this year but missed out on the World Cup squad, which could facilitate negotiations during the tournament.
