Manchester United’s failure to beat Tottenham to the signing of West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes has added another twist to the club’s midfield rebuild this summer, after they also lost out to Manchester City for £116million Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson.
The situation has been further complicated by the serious knee injury that Manuel Ugarte suffered playing for Uruguay at the World Cup last weekend.
The injury to Ugarte, who had appeared headed for the Old Trafford exit this summer, has led to concerns that United may not be able to sign two more midfielders after agreeing a £39m deal with Atalanta for Ederson, and a left-sided attacker – which may impact Marcus Rashford’s future.
Daily Mail Sport answers the key questions over United’s transfer plans after a difficult few days for the club.
Why did United lose out to Spurs for Fernandes?
The Portuguese had become United’s No 1 target after they admitted defeat in the race for Anderson. Whereas they were simply unable to compete with City’s ability to pay a £116m fee and Anderson’s wages, however, missing out on Fernandes had more to do with United’s refusal to match Spurs’ club-record £85m bid for the 21-year-old.
Sources say that United were in contention until Tuesday, when the price for Fernandes rose even higher. While Spurs were prepared to pay the entire fee without any add-ons, United drew a line and walked away from talks.
Mateus Fernandes will join Tottenham after their £85m offer outbid Manchester United
Another key factor was Fernandes’ ambivalence to which club he joined, having expressed little preference to United or Tottenham during negotiations. United would much rather sign players who want to play for them, and point to last summer when Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo both welcomed the opportunity to move to Old Trafford and were brought in for more realistic prices.
Mbeumo, in particular, rejected interest from Spurs and made it clear to Brentford that he only wanted to join United, enabling them to have an offer accepted at the third attempt.
Who are United’s targets now?
United have been monitoring a number of players in the knowledge that midfield would be their main focus this summer following Casemiro’s departure as a free agent.
Bournemouth’s Alex Scott is known to be admired at Old Trafford and could well be the player that United turn to first, although insiders say that it’s too early to say as the club re-assess the situation in light of the Fernandes setback.
Arsenal would appear to be United’s main rivals for Scott, but City, Chelsea and Tottenham – again – have also shown an interest. Bournemouth insist the 22-year-old is not for sale and want to improve his current contract which runs until 2028. Although it was thought that Scott would cost in the region of £60m, Bournemouth are likely to demand even more now, based on the fees agreed for Anderson and Fernandes.
Aurelien Tchouameni is another midfielder high on United’s list but there is no guarantee the Frenchman will leave Real Madrid following Jose Mourinho’s return to the Bernabeu as coach, and transfer fee and wages could be a stumbling block again.
There will be other names in the mix such as Scott’s Bournemouth team-mate Tyler Adams and Felix Nmecha of Borussia Dortmund, but United’s interest in Sandro Tonali is said to have cooled before Tottenham accelerated a deal for the Italian worth £100m. Carlos Baleba and Adam Wharton have not featured prominently in discussions so far this summer.
Some United fans who were unconvinced over the Ederson signing have raised more concerns over the club’s failure to get the Fernandes deal over the line, while others have backed the decision to stand firm.
Bournemouth midfield duo Alex Scott and Tyler Adams are on United’s radar
Borussia Dortmund and Germany star Felix Nmecha, who came through Man City’s academy, is also on the midfield shortlist
Aurelien Tchouameni is another midfielder high on United’s list but there is no guarantee the Frenchman will leave Real Madrid following Jose Mourinho’s return to the Bernabeu
How has Ugarte’s injury changed the picture?
Despite the sincere goodwill and support for Ugarte after he suffered a suspected torn ACL in his left knee playing for Uruguay against Spain, the reality is that United were open to letting him leave Old Trafford this summer as part of the rebuild. The 25-year-old is now expected to stay for another year as he undergoes lengthy rehab.
However, sources insist that it will make little difference to United’s plans because Ugarte was likely to go out on loan anyway, so the club haven’t missed out on a transfer fee.
In addition, his salary is covered under FIFA’s club protection programme because he was injured on international duty, so there is still extra room on the wage bill.
In theory, United can press ahead with plans to sign a £80m replacement for Casemiro, having already spent £40m on Ederson, and possibly a third midfielder as well to strengthen the squad.
The other areas being looked at this summer are left back, a left-sided attacker, a back-up goalkeeper and, possibly, a striker.
Manuel Ugarte looks to have suffered a serious injury in Uruguay’s dismal World Cup campaign
What’s the latest on Rashford?
As it stands, Rashford is a United player and under contract at Old Trafford for another two years. He will have a break after the World Cup, and is prepared to return for pre-season training at Carrington later this month after spending the majority of the last 18 months away from his boyhood club on loan at Aston Villa and Barcelona.
If that happens, the 28-year-old expects to be reintegrated into the first-team setup under Michael Carrick after being placed in ‘bomb squad’ of unwanted players by his predecessor Ruben Amorim a year ago.
United are looking for a left-sided attacker this summer and, in theory, Rashford would be the obvious solution. He is already their player and is proving his worth at the World Cup where he has outshone England team-mate Anthony Gordon, his £70m replacement at Barcelona.
However, his £315,000-a-week salary makes him United’s highest earner following Casemiro’s exit, and is the main reason the club would prefer to sell him for around £40m as they look to restructure their wage bill.
United are prepared for Rashford’s return if they cannot find a buyer before he is due to report back, after Barcelona decided not to activate the £26m option in his loan deal at the Nou Camp.
While the prospect of Rashford playing for United next season cannot be discounted, there is a feeling that another move would be in the best interest of both parties and Barca might yet test United’s stance on not wanting another loan deal.
Marcus Rashford is prepared to return for pre-season training at Carrington later this month after spending the majority of the last 18 months away from his boyhood club
Could any other players leave?
Altay Bayindir’s likely departure will allow United to sign a new back-up keeper for Senne Lammens after striking a new loan deal for Andre Onana to remain at Trabzonspor. Equally, any prospect of bringing in another striker is going to hinge on offloading Joshua Zirkzee.
United hope to add cover at left back but may not make any other changes in defence with next summer earmarked as the time to reshape that area of the squad.
Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez all entered the final year of their contracts at midnight on Tuesday, although United can trigger 12-month extensions for Maguire and Martinez. Shaw turns 31 at the end of next week, and a decision over his future is set to be made before the turn of the year. Matthijs De Ligt is under contract until 2029, but the Dutchman has not played since the end of November due to a back injury that required surgery.
Meanwhile, Bruno Fernandes is also entering the final year of his contract, but United have the option to extend it by another 12 months until 2028 and are likely to open talks over a new deal in the next few months.
