12 May 2026 08:52 BST |
4 min read
Manchester United are keen to sign two new central midfielders this summer and they have identified a number of transfer options as they look to land a suitable replacement for the departing Casemiro.
Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson is considered to be a dream target, but a deal is expected to be too costly and the Red Devils have therefore been forced to identify several alternative options for the role.
Interest in Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleba has been rekindled following their failure to finalise a deal for either player last summer, while the 13-time Premier League champions are also monitoring the progress of Aurelien Tchouameni, Alex Scott and Ederson, among several others.
West Ham United star Mateus Fernandes is on their radar too and he will undoubtedly have impressed Man Utd scouts with his eye-catching performance versus Arsenal on Sunday afternoon, despite his glaring second-half miss.
The Portugal midfielder joined West Ham from Southampton last year and with relegation down to the Championship a real possibility, he is one of a handful of Hammers stars who are expected to leave the club during the upcoming summer transfer window.
An asking price just shy of €100 million has been set by West Ham, as per Football Insider, and this eye-watering figure could prove to be an obstacle in Man Utd’s bid to secure his signature.
However, Rasmus Hojlund is set to be a huge help in this regard.
Rasmus Hojlund to help Man Utd sign Mateus Fernandes
Hojlund arrived at Man Utd for a whopping €79.8m in 2023, despite spending just one season at Atalanta, and he was unable to deliver on his promise during his two-year stint as the club’s preferred striker.
Following the signing of RB Leipzig centre forward Benjamin Sesko last summer, Hojlund was sent on loan to Serie A giants Napoli, with the temporary deal including an obligation to buy for €44m if they secure Champions League qualification.
Although Antonio Conte’s side suffered a potentially damaging 3-2 loss to Bologna on Monday evening, they remain in second place in the Italian top flight table and they will book their place in next season’s Champions League if they pick up four points in their remaining two matches.
Regardless, the club have already confirmed they intend to sign Hojlund on a permanent deal this summer and Man Utd are therefore primed to receive a major transfer windfall that will help them fund a transfer for Fernandes.
Related stories:
Man Utd’s Casemiro replacement shines on transfer audition
The 10 superstars set to dominate the 2026 summer transfer window
Transfer Rumours: Chelsea favourites to sign striker as Man Utd learn Kroupi ‘concern’
The FootballTransfers app
Check out FootballTransfers’ new app for all of football’s big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.
The FootballTransfers app is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store. Download here:
•Google Play
•App Store
