Manchester United have missed out on signing Mateus Fernandes this summer as Tottenham has agreed a £85m transfer. Leaving United, looking for alternatives.
After weeks of speculation, Mateus Fernandes is Tottenham-bound, with Manchester United unwilling to pay the huge £85m demands West Ham had been throwing around.
Fernandes is also going to be earning a reported £250,000-a-week at Spurs, which is £100k more than United were offering.
This is the second top target missed out on, after Elliot Anderson chose to join Manchester City for £130m.
United will be back to the drawing board considering alternatives who can follow the £34.5m signing of Ederson from earlier this month.
Here are 10 Fernandes alternatives.
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Alex Scott
The name that immediately sprang to mind after Fernandes was off the table is Bournemouth’s, Alex Scott.
Scott is one of United’s top options in midfield this summer, even before walking away from a Fernandes deal.
It has even been reported that United are confident of signing Scott, with his contract situation potentially meaning a deal could be affordable around the £70m mark.
Adam Wharton
There has been a weird silence around Adam Wharton this summer so far, but he was named as a Fernandes alternative last week for United.
Wharton is a quality midfielder, and concerns around his similarities to Kobbie Mainoo are known, but they really aren’t that similar.
Signing Wharton would lead United to play a more possession-oriented and dominant brand of football. There is thought to be a gentleman’s agreement for Wharton to cost £60m, which would be a bargain.
Even at £70m it is a deal worth doing.
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Aurelien Tchouameni
The biggest statement that United could make would be to go and take Aurelien Tchouameni from Real Madrid this summer.
United wouldn’t have afforded Tchouameni this summer if Fernandes had arrived, but without his arrival, Tchouameni could be on the cards.
It would take Madrid being open to a sale and telling him that he has no future there, but it is absolutely a possibility with Jose Mourinho not making him unsellable.
Tchouameni could cost £70m to £80m, which could be a great deal for a player in his prime.
Bruno Guimaraes
Newcastle United’s captain is attracting interest this summer already, and with another option off the table, United might be tempted to step in and pay big money for Bruno Guimaraes.
United ‘admire’ Guimaraes, and there were suggestions in Brazil a few months ago that a deal was looking likely, but it would cost at least £80m for a player who turns 29 in November.
Guimaraes replaces the leadership and goals of Casemiro, while he has also been brilliant at the World Cup, creating chances and getting assists.
Lamine Camara
With Fernandes and Anderson going for £85m and £130m respectively, it is becoming clear that there really isn’t value in the Premier League midfield market this summer, and United may have to look further afield.
Monaco’s Lamine Camara could be this.
Camara is a brilliant midfield option for United, and amazingly, he is available for just £35m
This is the kind of transfer that will be worth three times as much in 18 months if Brighton signed him, so United should take the punt.
Felix Nmecha
One of the only German players who can hold his head high after a pretty poor World Cup was Felix Nmecha in midfield.
The 6ft 3in Borussia Dortmund star has earned plaudits and caught the eyes of United.
He is tall, physical, excellent on the ball, and also has a lethal strike on him.
Whether he would cost the reportedly £80m fee remains to be seen, but for £50-60m, he is a really solid option.
Sandro Tonali
Back to the Premier League, and Sandro Tonali surely remains an option for United this summer now that Fernandes is off the table.
Newcastle have set a £100m price tag for Tonali, which will only have been strengthened by the other business done this summer.
But Tonali is one of the best options on the market right now and would elevate United immediately. If that fee drops to £80m, United need to be all over this.
Mamadou Sangare
Like Camara, Mamadou Sangare could offer United a really affordable, yet high-quality alternative to Fernandes.
United have been linked with a £33m move for Sangare from Lens, with the 23-year-old undoubtedly a data-driven signing.
When comparing Sangare and Fernandes, they are stylistically identical, offering the same strengths and weaknesses, and therefore, he would be a perfect alternative.
Low risk, high reward for United.
Angelo Stiller
Yet to be linked this summer, but Angelo Stiller has long been on the radar of United.
Jason Wilcox is a big supporter of Stiller, with the German often compared with Toni Kroos, which is a huge compliment.
With Stiller having a £35m release clause, United could do a lot worse than signing the Stuttgart midfielder, although in the context of this list, he would be one of the lower down options.
Ayyoub Bouaddi
If Ineos are serious about backing Michael Carrick with a tier one midfielder, then United needs to be submitting a £80m offer for Ayyoub Bouaddi immediately.
Unlike Fernandes, Bouaddi would be absolutely worth this fee, given how rare his profile is, and that at 18 years old, he will no doubt be world-class.
Bouaddi is a brilliant midfielder, and his classy, all-action style would suit United perfectly. He and Kobbie Mainoo would be a formidable pairing.
Bouaddi could easily be United’s top target this summer if Ineos have been watching how brilliant he is.
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