How much United are willing to pay for Mateus Fernandes revealed, INEOS unlikely to repeat this Glazers mistake – report

Things appear to have gone cold on the Mateus Fernandes trail, but Manchester United remain on course to finalise the deal soon. With the Portuguese midfielder keen to link up with his idol Bruno Fernandes, it initially seemed like an easy deal to complete on paper. But West Ham’s valuation has slowed things down, while the entry of Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and other Premier League rivals have further complicated matters. There have been reports that the Red Devils are preparing their first offer, but the Hammers will insist on £80 million and are likely to reject the opening bid. INEOS keen to avoid repeating Glazer mistakes However, the 20-time English league champions remain confident of getting their man, but as the reliable Sully pointed out, INEOS are determined not to overpay. “Focus is on Mateus atm. Deal advancing well but we don’t want to overpay like we’ve done in the past,” Sully wrote on X (formerly Twitter). Focus is on Mateus atm. Deal advancing well but we don’t want to overpay like we’ve done in the past. Work ongoing on outgoings too. Data pool for other positions being shortened with initial contacts ongoing. Wilcox, Vivell, Macaulay and more all working together on next steps. — Sully (@SullyTalkz) June 16, 2026 It was a common occurrence under the Glazers, with United often being fleeced by teams across Europe, with the deal for Rasmus Hojlund a recent example. Atalanta could not repeat the same trick during negotiations for Ederson, which shows the new co-owners have learnt their lesson. How much United are willing to pay for Mateus Fernandes Plenty of fans will want United to pay what the London side are asking and get done with it, but that might set a wrong example on the market. And as revealed by The Manchester Evening News, United will not exceed the £70 million mark but they will likely have to pay more than £58 million and break the Championship sale record in the process. “The 21-year-old is certain to leave this summer, and West Ham are aware of that, which is damaging their negotiating power. “Fernandes will become the record holder for a sale for a Championship club (£58m), but United will not want to pay in excess of £70m for him.” United looking to play hardball for Mateus Fernandes and Crysencio Summerville The report further adds that with Crysencio Summerville also on the club’s radar, United could offer a combined £110 million for the duo. “West Ham are highly unlikely to turn down around £110m for Fernandes and Summerville, despite what Kretinsky may say.” The Hammers value the winger at £50 million, which means United are hoping to reduce the Championship’s valuation by nearly £20 million for both. It will be interesting to see if this ploy works out. Michael Carrick is banking on Mateus Fernandes to arrive as he looks to revamp the team’s engine room ahead of the new campaign. 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