Man United priced out of Anderson move as Fernandes and Hall talks advance

Manchester United have effectively been priced out of a move for Elliot Anderson after Manchester City submitted a £120 million bid for the 23-year-old Newcastle midfielder, with the player also preferring a switch to the Etihad over Old Trafford.

With Anderson off the table, United’s midfield focus has shifted to West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes. West Ham are currently asking £85 million for the Portuguese midfielder, a figure United will not meet, but the club remain firmly in the hunt and view the opening asking price as an early negotiating position rather than a firm valuation. A compromise is considered achievable, particularly if Fernandes signals a preference for a move to Old Trafford.

Alex Scott and Carlos Baleba are also well-regarded internally, giving United alternatives should the Fernandes pursuit stall.

At left-back, United are keen on Newcastle’s Lewis Hall and a deal could be done. The club’s primary aim is to identify a long-term successor to Luke Shaw rather than a short-term fix. Despite Patrick Dorgu being considered for a wider attacking role, a dedicated left-winger is not currently a priority. There is interest in Morgan Rogers and Iliman Ndiaye, but any deal would need to work financially and neither is viewed as urgent.

Links connecting United to Sandro Tonali have cooled considerably. Newcastle have little incentive to sell having already banked £69 million from Anthony Gordon’s departure, and the club’s hierarchy would rather pursue Hall than enter a costly battle for the Italian. Signing both is described as having zero chance of happening.

United have already agreed a deal for Ederson, their first signing of the summer, and are working on additional business across the squad while the World Cup is ongoing. The transfer window officially opens on Monday, and the club’s position is described as stable rather than urgent, with a clear picture of remaining targets already in place.

A back-up striker is also on the agenda, particularly if Joshua Zirkzee departs as expected. The plan is to bring in an experienced option to support Benjamin Sesko rather than pursue a high-profile name.