PL rivals make desperate move as United edge closer to blockbuster signing after agreeing personal terms – report

Tottenham Hotspur are pushing hard to beat Manchester United to yet another signing, according to reports.  Earlier this year, United showed interest in Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi by touching base with his representatives. However, Spurs moved decisively and convinced the free agent to put pen to paper on their contract soon after avoiding relegation. United are not prioritising strengthening their defence this summer. As such, fans might not have lost sleep over missing out on Senesi. However, now, the North London giants are looking to hamper the Red Devils’ pursuit of their priority midfield target. Mateus Fernandes prepared to join Manchester United According to talkSPORT, Manchester United are determined to sign Mateus Fernandes from West Ham United despite the gifted midfielder suffering back-to-back relegations. The 21-year-old Portuguese emerged as one of the Premier League’s most complete midfielders last season, excelling with and without the ball. He is a powerful ball-carrier with an eye for a killer pass. Out of possession, the youngster is tenacious and in the right place at the right time, more often than not. “He’s got an unbelievably excellent attitude towards becoming better. So he can only use this as being better,” Simon Rusk, who worked with Fernandes at Southampton, told Sky Sports. As such, interest is high in the dynamic midfielder, and talkSPORT claims United have already convinced him to move to Old Trafford. “We know that Manchester United have basically got personal terms already agreed,” said talkSPORT’s chief football correspondent Alex Crook. Tottenham in talks to hijack Fernandes deal However, it is understood United’s move for Fernandes is in danger of being hijacked by Tottenham, who have already made an enquiry to West Ham over securing his services. The report further states: “And Fernandes is another player that De Zerbi has identified as someone who can improve Tottenham, having obviously flirted with relegation right up until the final day of the Premier League season.” Mateus Fernandes Premier League stats: 2025/26 Season Appearances36 Minutes per game84 Touches58.9 Key passes1.0 Accurate passes37.9 Interceptions 1.0 Tackles 2.9 Goals and assists 7 Source: Sofascore Reaching an agreement with Fernandes is one thing, and getting a nod from West Ham is another. The Hammers have so far shown little desire to budge from their £80m valuation. As such, should Spurs decide to meet West Ham’s demands and United refuse to be held to ransom, Fernandes would most likely end up moving from east to north London rather than Manchester. 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 Vishal Singh Vishal has worked in the football media industry for over six years, planning, writing, and editing content for several major outlets, including North Star Network. Vishal has a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Delhi University. Currently a writer at The Peoples Person, he covers Manchester United — a club he has been religiously following and supporting since 2012. Vishal also manages a leading MUFC fan page, The Red Devils, on Facebook with over a million likes. Big fan of ball-playing centre-backs and Harry Maguire’s knee-slide celebration!