United confident of completing incredible deal for technically gifted star Roy Keane really likes – report

Manchester United are moving swiftly to beat their Premier League rivals to the signing of one of the most exciting midfielders in England. It has been widely reported that Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson is the club’s preferred candidate to replace the departing Casemiro, who has already played his final game for the Red Devils.  However, Anderson seems on his way to Manchester City, who are prepared to blow competitors out of the water in terms of wages. Meanwhile, United are in a much stronger position when it comes to the race for the signature of another all-action midfielder. Manchester United confident of signing Mateus Fernandes According to Theatre of Red’s Shaun Connolly, West Ham United’s Mateus Fernandes remains a player of considerable interest at Manchester United. More importantly, Connolly adds that “there is a growing confidence of completing deal this summer” for the Portuguese midfielder. Earlier this month, Connolly claimed that United officials are “eager to get the bulk of their work done early” and consider players like Fernandes and Carlos Baleba as “complementary additions” to the existing squad. Fernandes has been described as a “modern-day regista” for the exceptional passing range and ground coverage he offers. Legendary midfielder Roy Keane recently suggested he is a big admirer of the youngster after picking Fernandes over all of Alex Scott, Enzo Fernandez, Ryan Gravenberch, Baleba and even Casemiro. Arsenal are also thought to be interested in the 21-year-old, but a separate report claimed earlier today that Fernandes is prioritising a move to Old Trafford. West Ham’s asking price for Mateus Fernandes Meanwhile, Football Insider reveal that the relegation-threatened Hammers would demand around £50 million for Fernandes, who moved to London from Southampton last year. Mateus Fernandes Premier League stats: 2025/26 Season Appearances35 Minutes per game84 Touches58.8 Key passes1.0 Accurate passes38 Interceptions 1.0 Tackles 2.8 Source: Sofascore Furthermore, United are also understood to be monitoring Fernandes’ teammate Jarrod Bowen, who is expected to exit West Ham if results do not go their way in the final match week on Sunday. The recruitment team at Old Trafford want to reinforce Michael Carrick’s attack with a versatile and Premier League-proven attacker. 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!