£64m Premier League star wants move to Manchester United

Manchester United are back in the promised land of the Champions League, but it means little if the club doesn’t really hit the ground running and improve in the competition next season.

United have only reached the quarter-finals once since 2014, and while they often celebrate their qualification, they ultimately deflate when the time comes.

For example, in the 2020/21 and 2023/24 seasons, the Red Devils failed to even make it past the group stage, with the latter being particularly disastrous for Andre Onana and his team.

In order to avoid a repeat of the 2026/27 season, INEOS needs to look for suitable reinforcements, especially in the midfield.

Manchester United boosted in race to sign Carlos Baleva replacement

United’s decision to strengthen their frontline last summer has certainly paid off, with Benjamin Sesco, Matheus Cunha and Brian Mbeumo each scoring 29 goals in the Premier League following their arrivals.

However, the hierarchy at Old Trafford became top-heavy and, although at one point they came close to bringing in Carlos Baleva, both Ruben Amorim and Michael Carrick were desperately lacking in midfield depth.

Personal terms have reportedly been agreed with the Cameroonian, but the £100m-plus fee from Brighton & Hove Albion proved prohibitive and the 22-year-old has endured some decline following a difficult season with the Seagulls.

Journalist Ben Jacobs has reported that talks have been underway for weeks over the transfer of West Ham United’s Matheus Fernandes, and if reports are to be believed, United may now be turning their attention elsewhere.

Encouragingly, Jacobs says the Portuguese sensation is said to be keen to join the Red Devils next season, following discussions with his agent.

Any deal is likely to depend on the Hammers securing top-flight safety, although previous reports suggested the east London side could demand a transfer fee of around €75m (about £64m).

Why Fernandes is a better deal than Baleva for Manchester United

Whether the two are linked or not, it is a worrying coincidence that Baleva’s form has slumped following his link with United, with the mere thought of joining the club seeming to unsettle him.

Although he was substituted at half-time three times in the first seven games of the season, he has only started 21 games in the top flight so far, a significant decrease from 31 games in 2024/25.

Once he looked like a £100m player, but the former Lille man has been overshadowed by other bright lights in the Premier League, including Fernandes.

West Ham’s young starlet may have a different profile as a midfielder, but in recent weeks he has featured in the top two of midfield alongside Tomas Soucek, although in the past he has typically played in a more advanced role.

Described in the past as a “huge talent” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Fernandes emerged as the star of a difficult season at the London Stadium during his loan spell at Estoril from Sporting CP, as part of an exciting trio alongside Crisencio Somerville and Jarrod Bowen.

The 21-year-old, who joined from relegated Southampton last summer in a £42m deal, has since scored six goals and an assist in this Premier League campaign, averaging an impressive average of one key pass per game.

For comparison, Valeva has neither scored nor assisted all season, averaged just 0.2 key passes and has made little contribution offensively, even when playing deep.

United need to fill the gap left by free scorer Casemiro (nine goals this season), but Fernandes also has the better passing accuracy (88% vs. 86%), which doesn’t necessarily bode well.

The West Ham man has appeared to be dominant outside of possession after switching to a box-to-box role under manager Nuno Espirito Santo, averaging 3.8 tackles and interceptions per game and recovering the ball 5.1 times per game.

This is a huge improvement compared to Bareva’s own returns, which last time he averaged 3.7 and 5.3, whereas left-footers averaged just 2.0 and 3.0 respectively in the same two metrics.

Perhaps it’s just a sign of the decline of Moises Caicedo’s replacement at the Amex, but while it’s hard to argue that Fernandes is currently a player on the rise, his versatility is also an attractive quality at a time when the Red Devils need to fill multiple holes in midfield.

By all accounts, he has already received congratulations from compatriot Bruno Fernandes, and this signing is sure to attract attention as the summer progresses.