Arteta standing between Carrick and his dream midfield recruit, United need to go all out to win the race – report

Manchester United are ramping up their search for Casemiro’s ideal successor. The Brazilian has announced his departure at the end of the season, with a move to Inter Miami looming large as things stand. Manuel Ugarte, signed as the eventual successor to the five-time Champions League winner, has failed to fill the void, and INEOS are keen to get the recruitment spot right this time. Atalanta’s Ederson is one name doing the rounds, but it is well known that United’s co-owners prefer players with Premier League experience. Mateus Fernandes fits the bill for United Club captain Bruno Fernandes has been pushing the case for West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes, and the Red Devils have finally started to act. The former Southampton ace can play all across the middle of the park and excels both defensively and on the ball, which is just what Michael Carrick needs in the engine room from next season. The Hammers would ideally like to hold on to the 21-year-old, but given their impending drop to the Championship, a sale looks likely. It will be far from an easy ride for United, given the amount of competition for his signature and his enormous price tag. Arsenal have other ideas Now the race has been further complicated by the entry of Arsenal, with The Times claiming Mikel Arteta is pushing his team to hijack United’s deal for the versatile Portuguese midfielder. “Arsenal are interested in signing West Ham United’s Mateus Fernandes as they look to reshape their midfield this summer. “The Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, likes versatile players and the 21-year-midfielder can play deeper or further forward, which has contributed to him scoring five goals and claiming four assists across 40 appearances this season.” Apart from English clubs, European giants like Paris Saint-Germain are also interested. “Paris Saint-Germain are interested in him as well as the Atletico forward Julián Alvarez, who is another target for Arsenal this summer.” Mateus Fernandes is reportedly keen on a move to Old Trafford, and it will be interesting to see which team ultimately wins the race for his services. Feature image Julian Finney via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Ayantan Chowdhury After failing to become a professional footballer, Ayantan switched to the next best thing: writing about the greatest football club in the world. He has extensive sports journalism experience, having worked for over 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25