United miss out on Fernandes as Spurs pay £85m, leaving midfield rebuild in disarray

Manchester United’s midfield rebuild has suffered a second setback in quick succession after Tottenham agreed to pay West Ham’s £85 million asking price for 21-year-old Mateus Fernandes, a fee United were unwilling to meet.

The blow follows United’s failure to land Elliot Anderson, who is set to join Manchester City from Nottingham Forest in a £116 million deal. Having now missed their top two midfield targets, United must look elsewhere to fill the void left by Casemiro’s departure at the end of last season. The club have agreed a £35 million deal to sign Ederson from Atalanta, but an elite-level central midfielder remains a priority.

Alex Scott

The Bournemouth midfielder has been on United’s radar for most of the season and his stock has risen as other targets have slipped away. The 22-year-old enjoyed an outstanding Premier League campaign with the Cherries and earned a place in England’s pre-World Cup training camp. Arsenal have also reportedly taken notice of his form.

Bournemouth are keen to tie Scott to a new contract this summer and may include a release clause — as they did with Antoine Semenyo, who subsequently joined Manchester City. United’s pressing need for reinforcements may mean they cannot afford to wait for a similar arrangement to play out.

Aurélien Tchouaméni

The France international is the most high-profile name remaining on United’s list. The club have monitored the 26-year-old for several months after learning that an exit from Real Madrid was not entirely out of the question. Real Madrid’s hierarchy insists Tchouaméni is not for sale, and new head coach Jose Mourinho is also said to want him to stay — despite a reported altercation with captain Federico Valverde late last season.

United would move quickly if he became available, though that scenario currently looks unlikely unless Real Madrid secure a major midfield signing of their own.

Carlos Baleba

Brighton’s Baleba represents a third midfielder United have stepped back from over the past year due to price. They were interested 12 months ago but balked at Brighton’s £100 million valuation. Despite the 22-year-old enduring a difficult season on the south coast, Brighton have shown little willingness to lower their asking price, and there has been minimal movement on a deal so far this summer.

Adam Wharton

The England international has attracted admiration from several clubs, but the trail has gone cold at Old Trafford. The view internally is that Wharton’s profile is too similar to Kobbie Mainoo to justify a significant outlay.