Man Utd Mateus Fernandes transfer hijack is on as CEO breaks silence | Football | Sport
Manchester United will be wielding their financial power during the summer transfer window – and they’ve virtually secured their first signing. Michael Carrick has been given the permanent position at Old Trafford following an impressive Premier League campaign.
He is in charge for the foreseeable future and after a third-place league finish, United will compete in the Champions League next season. However, there’s likely to be substantial activity in the transfer market first. Ederson will be the first arrival as a £39million agreement with Atalanta has been struck. United are also pursuing a recently relegated midfielder for £80m.
Yet former boss Jose Mourinho has reportedly encouraged Real Madrid, whom he appears set to join imminently, to scupper this move as Express Sport brings you the latest from Old Trafford.
West Ham were relegated to the Championship this season after finishing 18th, and several of their prized assets are expected to depart.
Mateus Fernandes, who was also relegated with Southampton in 2025, is the pick of the bunch. Fernandes shone in a struggling Hammers side and has attracted considerable interest from numerous suitors.
He is valued at £80m and United are believed to be amongst the frontrunners in the battle to secure his signature. However, Mourinho, who was in charge at Old Trafford from 2016 to 2018, has urged Real Madrid to swoop in and hijack the deal, according to Spanish outlet AS.
Should Real Madrid president Florentino Perez be re-elected on Sunday, Mourinho is set to take the reins as the club’s new manager. The report suggests he has recommended Fernandes to Perez.
Meanwhile, United’s CEO Omar Berrada has addressed the club’s summer transfer plans, perhaps hinting that a high-profile signing may not materialise during this window.
He said: “We have to be really disciplined, it’s simple. We have a plan, we know what we can invest, and we have to stick to that. In some cases, we may decide to make an investment knowing it’s the right thing for not just the next two or three years, but the next 10 years.
“But clearly, we need to stay very focused on what we’re trying to achieve. It’s very important that you don’t let the market or the agents dictate what we should be doing.”
His remarks about refusing to allow outside forces to dictate transfer business may suggest that, should United wish to land a major signing, they will do so entirely on their own terms.
Berrada went on to say: “I think the template for what we did last summer will be replicated. You always go into a window, and you don’t know how you’re going to come out of it, but you have to be really prepared. We have to be ready, we have to be agile and flexible. But we have a clear plan. Jason Wilcox and his team are very well set up to execute that plan.”
