David Ornstein: United have a new hurdle to overcome in order to sign Mateus Fernandes

Manchester United’s attempts to sign Mateus Fernandes are not exactly going according to plan. The Red Devils have already signed Ederson from Atalanta, but head coach Michael Carrick is eyeing a complete revamp of his team’s midfield. The West Ham ace has been identified as the next feasible target after United were priced out of moves for Elliot Anderson and Sandro Tonali. However, the Hammers have proven to be a tough nut to crack as they stick to their asking price of £80 million despite their relegation. Complications galore for a Mateus Fernandes deal To complicate matters further, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are also eyeing the 21-year-old, with Tottenham Hotspur the latest to join the race. The Athletic‘s David Ornstein has claimed that Spurs are desperate to avoid the horror show of the last two seasons, and they want to back Roberto De Zerbi to the hilt. And the new manager is a big fan of the Portugal international, and the North London side are expected to push United all the way. Interestingly, they are also eyeing a move for Tonali, which is deemed separate to their push to sign the West Ham talisman. Spurs planning a late hijack “Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a move for West Ham United midfielder Mateus Fernandes, while they remain keen on signing Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali. “Spurs head coach Roberto De Zerbi is pushing to sign Fernandes, 21, who West Ham have set an asking price of £80million ($106.7m). “Tottenham have also held talks with the camp of Newcastle’s Tonali but face competition from other clubs including Manchester City, who are serious contenders for the Italian’s signature.” INEOS better be careful to avoid a last-minute hijack. Thankfully, Mateus Fernandes himself prefers a switch to Old Trafford as he is keen to play alongside his idol, Bruno Fernandes. Feature image Justin Setterfield 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