There has been an update in the frenzied battle to sign West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes, and it will come as good news to Manchester United.
Fernandes chase
With Champions League secured and third place all but guaranteed, United are set to start shifting attention towards the summer transfer window.
Midfield is thought to be the priority for United, with Casemiro set to leave at the end of the season once his contract expires, and uncertainty surrounding the future of Manuel Ugarte. United are prepared to make more than one top-class signing in the middle of the park.
A report covered by The Peoples Person relayed that the Red Devils have set aside in excess of £150m to spend on midfielders alone.
The past few days have seen a surge in links between Fernandes and a West Ham exit. With the Hammers staring relegation in the face, the midfielder now appears destined to depart. United are said to be the frontrunners to snap up the Portugal international.
But they’re not the only party chasing him, with the likes of Aston Villa, Chelsea, Manchester City and Newcastle United also keeping tabs on his situation. A fee of £80m for the player was initially suggested, but the expectation is that this sum will drop closer to the £60m mark, especially if West Ham go down.
Fernandes poured fuel on rumours of a United switch by confessing in an interview that he would have relished playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at United. The midfielder has never hidden his admiration for Bruno Fernandes either, with the United captain believed to be eager for them to combine forces at Old Trafford.
The other club that appears to be strongly making moves for Fernandes is Paris Saint-Germain, who were crowned Ligue 1 champions again and are in their second consecutive Champions League final.
PSG are among a number of clubs interested in signing Mateus Fernandes. The midfielder does not have a release clause in his contract, but is expected to be sold this summer, irrespective of which league West Ham will be in next season. #WHUFC https://t.co/HAEB6J74DI
— Roshane Thomas (@RoshaneSport) May 14, 2026
But reliable insider Sully reports that PSG are focused on bolstering their attack, which could greatly help United’s chances.
Fernandes update
According to Sully, United have also held talks with Fernandes’ representatives regarding a potential transfer.
Sully wrote on X, “Mateus Fernandes is attracting serious interest from #MUFC and is high on the midfielder shortlist.”
“Some initial contact took place with his representatives too, just to gauge early interest, and he is very open to a potential move. #WHU will want a ‘significantly’ larger fee than what they paid for him, even if they go down.”
“Multiple clubs have Fernandes on their radar including PSG and Arsenal.”
“However, I’ve heard that PSG are currently prioritising their attack first in the summer. It’ll become more clear in the next weeks what United’s steps are as we near the summer, with concrete steps starting to take place for their targets.”
Mateus Fernandes is attracting serious interest from #MUFC and is high on the midfielder shortlist. Some initial contact took place with his representatives too, just to gauge early interest, and he is very open to a potential move. #WHU will want a 'significantly' larger fee… pic.twitter.com/53d9ibgoLQ
— Sully (@SullyTalkz) May 14, 2026
The chase for Fernandes is definitely getting interesting, and it looks like United are all in to get their man.
Featured image Julian Finney via Getty Images
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