Tonali stays at £100m as Neville urges Carrick to pursue Nmecha over Fernandes

Tottenham’s opening £80 million bid for Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali has been rejected, with Newcastle valuing the Italian international at £100 million — leaving Manchester United, Arsenal, and Manchester City to weigh whether to enter a costly bidding war this summer.

United are in the market for midfield reinforcements as Michael Carrick prepares the squad for a return to Champions League football, having replaced Ruben Amorim in January and guided the club to a third-place Premier League finish. Casemiro’s departure has left a significant gap in the engine room, with Atalanta’s Ederson expected to partially address it but further additions still required.

Despite United reportedly holding an interest in Tonali, it was Spurs who moved first with a formal offer, only to be turned away swiftly by Newcastle. The Magpies are said to be open to selling the 24-year-old, but only at their valuation.

United have also been linked with West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes, a 21-year-old Portuguese midfielder who stood out during a difficult season that ended in the Hammers’ relegation from the Premier League. Reports indicate United have made an approach but are unwilling to meet West Ham’s £80 million asking price, with other clubs also circling.

Former United captain Gary Neville has urged the club to look elsewhere if the price on Fernandes does not drop, pointing to Borussia Dortmund’s Felix Nmecha as a compelling alternative. The Germany international, a former Manchester City academy product, has caught the eye at the World Cup and holds a reported £69 million release clause in his Dortmund contract that activates next year.

“The more he plays like he did the other night the more expensive he’ll get,” Neville said. “But at the moment, we hear Manchester United are being quoted £100m for the West Ham boy Fernandes. So they’re going to have to be looking around this tournament and parts of Europe. He looked outstanding the other night, it looked like he had absolutely everything.”

With Tonali likely to command a nine-figure fee and Fernandes’ valuation proving stubborn, Nmecha’s release clause may represent the most straightforward route to the quality Carrick needs in central midfield ahead of a demanding campaign on multiple fronts.