Matheus Fernandes playing for West Ham United (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Manchester United are reportedly looking to beat Arsenal with a move for West Ham United midfielder Matheus Fernandes.
The talented young Portuguese international has attracted much attention at West Ham, where the season has just ended, despite being relegated from the Premier League.
Hammers manager Nuno Espirito Santo has previously spoken highly of Fernandes, reportedly saying: more soccer: “He (Fernandes) is having a great season, working hard, very talented and disciplined. ”
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Man United are now likely to beat Arsenal for the deal, with The Times reporting that the Red Devils are the frontrunners to land the 21-year-old for £80m.
Matheus Fernandes becomes Manchester United’s second midfield player this summer
If this is correct, United have already made two big midfield signings and have made a great start to the summer.
According to reports from BBC Sport and others, MUFC have also reached an agreement to sign Ederson from Atalanta, with Fernandes likely to follow suit.
With Casemiro leaving at the end of his contract and Manuel Ugarte underperforming during his time in Manchester, this looks to be exactly the kind of business United needed to get a good end to early in this period.
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Matheus Fernandes, £80m – worth it or not?
Fernandes’ transfer fee of £80m may seem steep, but the reality is that the market has changed to the point where smaller clubs can command huge sums for their best players.
According to BBC Sport, Nottingham Forest are asking up to £120m for Elliott Anderson, and signing another top talent like Fernandes for less than £40m actually looks like pretty reasonable business.
However, the former Southampton youngster is still inexperienced, having only played two seasons in the Premier League, both seasons ending in relegation with his respective club.
Previous reports suggested that the Gunners were considering a move for Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali, so it will be interesting to see which other targets, if any, Arsenal sign after missing out on Fernandes.
