Mateus Fernandes can give United the assist of the summer by taking a leaf out of Diomandes book – opinion

Yan Diomande is one of the hottest prospects in European football; he possesses that natural winger flair, technical brilliance, trickery, and end product that seem to be fading in modern football. He is one of those players who can single-handedly transform an attacking unit from basic to world-class. The fact that he has delivered on the world stage, at the World Cup with Ivory Coast, just goes to show how truly gifted he is. Naturally, European heavyweights were lining up to sign him, with Manchester United among them. It was no secret that a big-money offer was the only way for any club to prise RB Leipzig’s generational talent away. The fee, however, was never the issue; clubs were willing to break the bank for the winger, which is exactly what Leipzig would have wanted. Liverpool even had two offers rejected, with the second reportedly as high as £100 million, according to Liverpoolfc.com. The Bundesliga side probably thought they could get even more with other top clubs keen. And they very nearly did, poised to do a deal entirely on their own terms, with Liverpool expected to keep pressing, convinced the player was willing to join them. Diomande seals his fate But then, over the weekend, everything changed. Leipzig lost their power to force Diomande’s potential exit into a bidding war. The winger has chosen PSG as his next step, with a move to any club other than the Ligue 1 champions now firmly off the table. Leipzig must now sit down for sober talks with the 2026 Champions League winners. PSG, for their part, now have the chance to negotiate on far better terms, and who knows, Leipzig could even be tempted by players as part of the deal. Mateus Fernandes can learn from Diomande Tottenham Hotspur or Manchester United: it remains unclear where Mateus Fernandes truly wants to be, with both clubs convinced they can get their man. But for the Old Trafford faithful, the hope will be that the Portuguese midfielder is wise and takes a leaf from Diomande’s playbook, making it clear that Old Trafford is where his heart lies. If he does that, he drastically changes his transfer situation. United and West Ham will have to have “sober talks” over this deal. Yes, he may still command a hefty fee, but there will be no dramatic price drop. However, it hands INEOS the chance to come up with a clever plan to get this deal over the line. It could be a transfer fee with tempting add-ons. It could be sending a player like Toby Collyer on a season-long loan to the London Stadium on better-structured terms. Either way, if Fernandes were to follow the Diomande route, he would be giving United the assist of the summer. Hopefully, Jorge Mendes allows him to make that decision. Featured image Clive Rose 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 Daniel Onguko Dan is a writer with The Peoples Person, an avid Manchester United fan whose passion for the Red Devils evolved into writing about them. He was introduced to United back in 2008, and his love for the club has continued to grow ever since. Like every other United fan, he believes the club will soon return to its rightful place and strives to reflect that belief in his writing. While he has also written about other Premier League sides, including Arsenal for Just Arsenal and The Arsenal Analysis Blogspot, Dan lives and breathes Manchester United.