Man Utd in talks to sign £70m star who’s like Fernandes

Ruben Amorim may well point to the success of moving on Alejandro Garnacho and co last summer, yet the Portuguese’s biggest Manchester United legacy will be the mess he made of the club’s midfield unit.

In Kobbie Mainoo’s case, the young Englishman didn’t start a single Premier League game in the first-half of the season under Amorim, seemingly destined for an exit either in January or over the summer. Now, he’s in the running for the PFA Young Player of the Year award.

Mainoo had been a casualty of the 40-year-old’s 3-4-2-1 formation, a tactical set-up that seemingly didn’t benefit an ageing Casemiro nor the playmaking genius of Bruno Fernandes either.

The former has since scored five goals in just 15 league games under Michael Carrick, while the latter has picked up 13 assists since the return to a 4-3-3 in 2026.

Barring Casemiro’s absence against Sunderland, and Mainoo’s against Leeds United, that trio have started every game under Carrick, ensuring a new configuration will be needed next season.

Man Utd in fresh talks to sign £70m Casemiro replacement

It could be argued that Casemiro’s Old Trafford farewell spoke to the declining standards at the club, with the Brazilian given a hero’s send-off despite winning just a Carabao Cup and an FA Cup across the last four years, failing to even feature at all in the latter final.

That would be a cynical take, however, with it difficult not to have been swept up in the emotion of the day, a man who won five Champions League titles at Real Madrid having seemingly fallen in love with the Red Devils.

A declining force or not, the 34-year-old will take some replacing this summer, with it yet to be seen if the man he came up against on Sunday, Elliot Anderson, will pick United over rivals Manchester City.

Anderson isn’t the only target on the agenda, with the Daily Mail reporting that INEOS could look to take advantage of West Ham United’s potential tumble into the Championship, amid their interest in Portuguese midfielder, Mateus Fernandes.

As per the report, United have stepped up ‘fresh talks’ regarding a potential move for the 21-year-old, with Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain also interested.

Having not made Portugal’s World Cup squad, the former Southampton man could prove a more attainable target early doors this summer, with prior reports indicating that a fee of around £70m could be enough to secure a deal.

Why Mateus Fernandes could be a Bruno & Casemiro hybrid at Man Utd

Casemiro’s exit at the end of the season has already been confirmed, despite cries of ‘one more year’ at the Theatre of Dreams, while a succession plan is still needed with regard to captain fantastic, Fernandes, not least considering the 31-year-old flirted with a Saudi move last summer.

Well, by bringing his young compatriot, Mateus Fernandes, into the fold in Manchester, United could potentially kill two birds with one stone, securing a midfielder who is comfortable operating in a variety of midfield roles.

Indeed, the Hammers starlet is almost a hybrid between the two experienced United stars, a ball-winning, relentless defensive presence like the £70m Casemiro, yet with the ball-playing, progressive quality of his Portugal colleague.

Formerly of Sporting CP, like Bruno, the 21-year-old has enjoyed two positive seasons in the Premier League on an individual basis, despite the woes that faced Southampton and now West Ham, collectively.

He’s scored and assisted 12 league goals since the start of 2024/25, a respectable return for any prospect, not least considering he typically operates in a number eight role.

With one key pass per game on average this season, and three big chances created in total, there is a forward-thinking element to Fernandes’ game, as seen in the fact that he’s been hailed as a “deep-lying Bruno Fernandes” by one notable analyst.

His knack for spraying passes from deep is certainly Bruno-esque, having only recently caught the eye as the Hammers were narrowly defeated by Arsenal, registering two key passes, successfully completing two dribbles and winning eight total duels.

While the former Estoril loanee did squander a gilt-edged chance late on, having fired straight at David Raya, there was enough to be encouraged by with regard to his all-round display.

His work out of possession is particularly impressive, potentially even more so than the current iteration of Casemiro, as their respective records this season showcase.

In Fernandes’ case, he has averaged a stellar 3.8 tackles and interceptions per game, recovering 5.1 balls per game and having been dribbled past just 1.1 times per game, all while winning 56% of his total duels.

For comparison, United’s veteran South American averages just 3.5 tackles and interceptions, has made just 4.1 recoveries and has been dribbled past 1.5 times per game on average, winning just 53% of his total duels.

It is also the younger man who appears more secure in possession, bettering Casemiro for both pass accuracy (88% vs 81%) and possession lost per game (9.2 vs 10.9), further indication of his sky-high potential.

His goal return requires work, but he has now bettered Casemiro for assists in each of the last two league seasons, ensuring he could provide the ex-Madrid man’s ball-winning prowess, yet while offering a greater creative streak.

It won’t just be United fighting for his signature, of course, but the West Ham sensation might be the perfect midfield signing to kick off the summer.