The Mateus Fernandes transfer chase has got a bit complicated for Man Utd but Fabrizio Romano has an exciting update.
Since signing Ederson and walking away from Elliot Anderson, Man Utd’s focus was on securing Mateus Fernandes.
West Ham drove a hard bargain, but Fernandes was desperate to join, so Old Trafford looked like a natural destination for him.
However, things have developed quickly in recent days and in an uncomfortable manner for Ineos.
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Mateus Fernandes transfer update
Beating the likes of PSG, Arsenal, and Real Madrid to Mateus Fernandes was apparently not enough, as Fernandes then agreed terms with Spurs.
His agent, Jorge Mendes, is pulling the strings expertly to get the best deal for himself and the club, and it’s led to a rather uncomfortable situation for Man Utd.
They don’t want to be held to ransom by the Hammers, but at the same time, can’t afford to lose out on Fernandes after walking away from Anderson.
Romano, speaking on his YouTube channel, has shared that United hold a key advantage despite a developing bidding war.
United, to date, are the only team who have progressed from agent/player talks to start talking with the club over the transfer fee.
He said: “Spurs are talking to the agent of Mateus Fernandes, still pushing, but nothing guaranteed. Man Utd are working very hard on the deal.
“They are working hard on the club side, talking with West Ham. They spoke to Mateus Fernandes already and with the agent.
“The feeling is that who is going to bring the best proposal to West Ham. That’s the key to understanding this story.”
Man Utd have a lead in the bidding war
United talking to West Ham means they are convinced that Fernandes has chosen them; otherwise, as seen in Anderson’s case, they wouldn’t even bother.
As Romano says above, the key to the story is who brings the best proposal to West Ham, but that will be a moot point if Fernandes only wants to join United.
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So far, that hasn’t been declared publicly, like Bryan Mbeumo did last summer, and that could be down to Mendes playing his games.
Ultimately, he can’t send his client to a club he doesn’t want, so United have a lead in the bidding war. They are talking with West Ham while the others are trying to agree terms with the player.
The move still seems like it will happen, just slower than first anticipated.
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