Man Utd are mulling over whether to match West Ham’s asking price for Mateus Fernandes, but a £39m hijack can make it manageable.
A rollicking start to the transfer window for Man Utd has been brought to a halt by West Ham’s stubborn stance on Mateus Fernandes.
With each day, he looks further away from Old Trafford instead of closer, and there seems to be no breakthrough in sight.
The asking price is the big hurdle, but the club can make it manageable by hijacking a £39m deal elsewhere.
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Man Utd must hijack Joao Gomes’ Atletico Madrid move
Joao Gomes‘ links to Man Utd had started before the season ended, but they had gone cold this summer.
That is because Atletico Madrid moved quickly to secure the Brazilian after Wolves’ relegation to the second tier.
Man Utd fans were baffled at the time that United didn’t even compete for his signature, but fate has thrown them a second chance.
Despite agreeing personal terms with the player, Gomes to Atletico Madrid is far from done, as there is a gap between Wolves’ valuation of the player and Madrid’s offer.
Atletico don’t want to pay more than £34m, while Wolves demand at least £40m to sell their prized asset.
This is why a move has been put on hold despite Gomes looking destined for Spain well before the window had even opened.
This is Man Utd’s chance to hijack this transfer and secure a Premier League-proven contributor for just £40m, becoming their second midfielder for a total spend of less than £80m.
Gomes signing can justify splashing big on Mateus Fernandes
United signing Gomes will immediately make them less desperate in negotiations, and also set a benchmark for relegated players.
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Granted, Fernandes has a higher ceiling than Gomes, but United could feasibly complete their midfield rebuild for less than £150m, signing Fernandes and Gomes in addition to Ederson, who’s already signed.
Add Kobbie Mainoo to the mix, and some exciting academy products, and that midfield looks more than good enough to compete in multiple competitions.
United are dithering on Fernandes because they can’t justify spending £80m on a relegated player when they have other priorities to sort as well.
Gomes sorts that other priority, justifying a big splash on Fernandes.
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