United most advanced club in red-hot race for 85m magician, Wilcox confident of striking deal – report

Manchester United remain confident of striking a deal for West Ham United starlet Mateus Fernandes despite growing interest from Tottenham Hotspur, according to an inside source. Midfield Maestro The Red Devils have zeroed in on Fernandes as their primary target in midfield after a deal for Elliot Anderson proved unworkable due to Nottingham Forest’s demands for the England international. The club’s analytics team believe the 21-year-old Portuguese has the skillset and versatility to develop into a comparable player to Anderson, with one former United coach even claiming he has a higher ceiling. Neil Harris, who spent 20 years at Old Trafford, believes Fernandes is already a “mature player” who does the “simple things to a high level”, leading him to compare the youngster to Paris Saint-Germain superstar Vitinha. “I think [Fernandes] has got levels that maybe Anderson and Wharton haven’t got to go. When I look at him, I see Vitinha. I see him being a conductor in games with his tempo and things like that.” With West Ham having suffered relegation last month, it is little wonder, therefore, that a host of Europe’s top sides have expressed interest in the Sporting CP academy graduate, hoping to strike a cut-price deal for a top-level talent. United are joined by Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Newcastle United in their admiration, while Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are also in the hunt. However, the Hammers have refused to budge on their valuation, believed to be around £85 million, after an impressive personal campaign for Fernandes, despite the need to raise funds at the London Stadium ahead of the descent into the Championship. 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 Last-Minute Hijack This reticence to meet West Ham’s demands has allowed Tottenham to storm into the race, even with the bitter rivalry between the London sides. In a bid to back Roberto De Zerbi, Spurs are intent on spending big after coming perilously close to facing the same fate as their local rivals. Talks have already begun for Newcastle United dynamo Sandro Tonali, a target United considered but deemed too expensive, and the Italy international has signalled his willingness to join the Lilywhites. But De Zerbi is aiming for a total revamp in midfield, leading to a pursuit of Fernandes alongside Tonali in an ambitious double raid. Earlier today, a report relayed by The Peoples Person revealed an agreement was “very close” with the West Ham star on personal terms, though club-to-club negotiations were yet to start. Crucially, Fernandes is said to be “open” to the switch to north London. If United were to miss out on another key target in midfield to a direct rival – Manchester City are closing in on a record-breaking deal for Anderson – it would be a major blow to INEOS’s plans this summer. However, a well-placed source indicates there is still “confidence internally” amongst the Old Trafford hierarchy, spearheaded by sporting director Jason Wilcox, that they are in the best position to sign the Olhão native, regardless of Spurs’ hijack attempt. Manchester United are in ongoing talks with West Ham regarding Mateus Fernandes. They are aware of Spurs’ interest & pursuit but firmly believe that they’re the most advanced club with confidence internally. Fernandes’ preferred club is United & they still believe thats the case. — Sully (@SullyTalkz) June 20, 2026 Tweet: “Manchester United are in ongoing talks with West Ham regarding Mateus Fernandes. They are aware of Spurs’ interest & pursuit but firmly believe that they’re the most advanced club with confidence internally. Fernandes’ preferred club is United & they still believe thats the case.” Final Thoughts The attraction of playing for De Zerbi in the capital is a reasonable pull for a young player, but it pales in comparison to representing the biggest club in the country in the Champions League at the Theatre of Dreams. Fernandes is also believed to be desperate to play with his namesake at United, Bruno, offering another layer of attraction which should help the Red Devils see off Spurs in the race to secure his signature. It is simply a matter of making a deal with West Ham; Tottenham will have nothing to offer once that is done. 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 Darragh Fox Darragh is an editor for The Peoples Person who spent three years learning about the Cold War at the University of Sheffield slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about. Amad’s first touch should be officially recognised as the eighth wonder of the world.