Amorim's past praise for Mateus Fernandes fuels Man Utd's £80m pursuit

Manchester United are pursuing West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes, with the relegated Hammers placing an £80 million price tag on the 21-year-old as United and Arsenal compete for his signature this summer.

Fernandes’s path to this point has been unusually turbulent for someone so young. He left Sporting CP for Southampton in 2024, only for the Saints to be relegated to the Championship. West Ham then signed him for £38 million plus £4 million in add-ons, but the Hammers have since suffered the same fate, dropping out of the Premier League at the end of the 2024-25 season. Fernandes is now seeking a third consecutive top-flight club in as many summers.

The United angle carries an added layer of intrigue: it was Ruben Amorim who sanctioned Fernandes’s original departure from Sporting CP, and the United head coach was candid about how difficult that decision was. “What we lost is a player,” Amorim told A Bola at the time. “A young man with a lot of value who, in my opinion, has the characteristics to be a great player. But choices were made. We really wanted to keep Mateus. And, honestly, I think Mateus would have liked to stay, despite it being a big contract and a big league. It was a difficult time for everyone.”

That history gives United’s pursuit a personal dimension, with Amorim understood to have given sporting director Michael Carrick the green light to explore a deal. Reinforcing the midfield is United’s primary objective this window following Casemiro’s departure, with Manuel Ugarte also reportedly available for loan or permanent transfer after a difficult spell at Old Trafford.

Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo remain the anchors of United’s midfield, but Carrick is understood to want additional depth ahead of a return to Champions League football next season. The club are also reported to be closing in on Atalanta’s Ederson, while Elliot Anderson, Aurélien Tchouaméni, and Sandro Tonali have been identified as other potential statement signings.

Mateus Fernandes made his senior debut for Portugal earlier this year but was omitted from the World Cup squad, which could allow United to finalise a deal during the tournament without losing the player to international duty.

For Southampton, a sale at £80 million would be a significant windfall. The Saints retained a 15 per cent sell-on clause when they sold Fernandes to West Ham, meaning they stand to receive approximately £12 million if the deal reaches that valuation.