United in “official negotiations” with super agent to sign “special talent”, club-to-club talks also started – Fabrizio Romano

If all goes according to plan, Manchester United could soon secure a second midfielder this summer, as the situation surrounding Mateus Fernandes is developing rapidly. Fernandes has become United’s priority transfer target this summer after impressing with his aggressive ball-winning and powerful ball-carrying ability.  According to Sky Sports, United are preparing an opening offer for the 5’10” midfielder, who has been described as a “special talent”. Manchester United working on Mateus Fernandes deal Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano claims Manchester United are now in contact with West Ham for Mateus Fernandes. According to the Italian journalist, Real Madrid have shown interest in Fernandes, but their pursuit is not as “advanced” as the Premier League giants. It is claimed United are in “official negotiations” with the agent of the Portuguese number eight, Jorge Mendes, regarding his contract. More importantly, United are also in contact with West Ham to understand their demands, indicating the pursuit has moved past discussions among intermediaries and is entering the formal stage of a deal. It has been suggested that the Hammers have slapped an £85m price-tag on the 21-year-old’s head. However, United are allegedly not going to pay “completely crazy money” for their preferred target.  As such, talks are ongoing to find a consensus by potentially restructuring the deal and including add-ons. West Ham desperate to raise funds The Daily Mail, meanwhile, suggest that United are leading the chase for Fernandes after ending their hunt for Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson. United are thought to be ahead of Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid in the race for the West Ham sensation.  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 West Ham are “under pressure to raise more £100m in player sales before the end of this month to comply with financial fair play rules following the club’s relegation from the Premier League.” As such, the Hammers cannot afford to play a waiting game with the Red Devils, who have already reached an agreement to sign Brazilian dynamo Ederson from Atalanta and have a whole summer to revamp their midfield. Featured 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 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!