2025 felt like the year Manchester United finally got back on the right track in the recruitment department, despite suffering their worst ever run in the Premier League under manager Ruben Amorim.
At their lowest ebb, the Red Devils still proved an attractive destination when they brought in Matheus Cunha for the first time in a £62.5m deal.
The signing of Brentford’s Brian Mbeumo was also ultimately completed despite intense competition for the Cameroonian, while the Old Trafford side were keen to sign Benjamin Sesco ahead of hapless Newcastle United.
Throwing Sene Lamence into the mix was a case of success for the INEOS regime, but 12 months on and things haven’t gone so smoothly.
But could some positive news finally emerge?
Manchester United’s top choice to sign £80m replacement for Matheus Fernandes
United have shifted their priority to West Ham United star Matheus Fernandes, with Elliott Anderson opting to become the first signing of the new post-Josep Guardiola era at Manchester City.
However, as in the case of Anderson, the financials of the deal have proven to be something of an obstacle, and INEOS also has no guarantee that the 21-year-old actually wanted to make the move.
In fact, the Portuguese playmaker only joined the Hammers a year ago in a £40m deal, making him Tottenham Hotspur’s second-highest-paid player at £85m.
As for Old Trafford’s players, they at least have an exciting list of replacements, with Sky Sports outlining that Bournemouth’s Alex Scott has become their “first priority”.
The suggestion is that United, along with Arsenal, could be considered front-runners in the race to sign the Guernsey-born midfielder, although Cherries have indicated they still intend to keep hold of the 22-year-old.
The south coast side are hoping to offer the youngster a big new contract to quell any interest, but some claim an £80m transfer fee is enough to reach an agreement.
Why Scott could be Manchester United’s answer to Fernandes
Whether it’s Sesco, Victor Gokeres, Alexander Isak or Hugo Ekitike, last year proved to be the summer of strikers. Now, the only thing left to do is pursue the midfield.
Man City are set to sign Anderson, while Arsenal are keen on signing Bruno Guimarães.
But the biggest player was Spurs, whose acquisition of Fernandes was followed by the record signing of Sandro Tonali.
With all of the Premier League’s elite players moving into the midfield market, United are at risk of being left behind as potential options begin to be reduced.
Indeed, at the age of 21 and having played two years in the Premier League, the young Fernandes felt he was a good fit, not least because of his admiration for compatriot Bruno Fernandes.
He could very well be a long-term solution at the heart of United’s midfield, but the England youth star is still just 22 years old and Scott could be too if a deal goes through.
Scott, who was part of the side that won European Under-21 Championship glory with Anderson in 2025, has a flair for ballet, is a talented midfielder and is someone who flits around the pitch in the role of a tall No.8.
Scott vs M Fernandes – 25/26 PL | ||
|---|---|---|
Scott | State (per 90) | M. Fernandes |
1.39 | shot | 0.83 |
0.13 | big chance | 0.06 |
0.13 | A big opportunity has arisen | 0.06 |
0.44 | deep carry | 0.18 |
0.91 | It was successful. dribble | 0.83 |
1.54 | progressive carry | 1.10 |
1.67 | Advance to the final third | 1.10 |
The former Bristol City man’s talent has really started to blossom in the last 12 months or so, after an injury-induced start to life at Vitality, and was particularly noticeable when the Cherries beat Arsenal at the Emirates earlier this year.
He was also influential in last season’s 2-2 draw with Michael Carrick’s side, winning 100 per cent of his duels and tackles on the night and boasting 82 touches against Casemiro and others.
Despite his youth, there is a great deal of control and composure to his game, much like Spurs’ new signing Fernandes.
In fact, he finished the season with a pass accuracy of 85% in the top flight, just below Fernandes’ average of 87%. For context, Casemiro’s own average dropped significantly at just 81%.
Like Fernandes, Scott has a combative personality, making 2.6 tackles and interceptions per game and averaging 5.3 recoveries. The former West Ham star achieved similar scores in the same two metrics with 3.9 and 5.1 respectively.
Neither player was prolific, but both scored three goals in an almost spectacularly dominant style, while the Scot nearly outperformed his Premier League counterpart in terms of ‘big chances’ created (4-3).
There are genuine similarities to be seen and despite the frustration of watching the Lilywhites pass Fernandes, United could still make a statement and make an exciting midfield move towards a true star.
Forget Somerville: Manchester United wants to sign ‘one of the best LWs in the world’
Manchester United are looking for a new left-wing solution this summer, but is Crisencio Somerville the best option on the market?
