£80m “superstar” is now very keen to join Man Utd

Manchester United‘s midfield has long been a problem at Old Trafford, with opportunities having passed the club by time and again in recent times.

In 2020, for instance, United rolled out the red carpet in an attempt to persuade a 17-year-old Jude Bellingham to make the switch from Birmingham City, only for the teenager to ultimately join the talent factory at Borussia Dortmund.

Either side of that pursuit, the club were also repeatedly linked with Bellingham’s England colleague, Declan Rice, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitting recently that he was keen on bringing the then-West Ham United man to Manchester.

A “Manchester United player”, in the view of Bruno Fernandes, Rice is now a Premier League winner at Arsenal, while the Red Devils’ own 2023 arrival, Mason Mount, has endured a third injury-hit season in succession.

For many, Elliot Anderson is the latest potentially transformative midfield target, although he isn’t the only player on INEOS’ radar.

£80m Anderson alternative is now very keen to join Man Utd

Anderson, the leading target for United this summer, only served to enhance his reputation even further at the weekend, after picking up two delightful assists as Nottingham Forest fell to a 3-2 defeat against Michael Carrick‘s side.

The admiration is there, evidently, from INEOS’ perspective, although it doesn’t appear to be reciprocated, with reports indicating that the 23-year-old will be joining Manchester City, regardless of Pep Guardiola’s looming departure.

Alas, the Red Devils may have to turn to a player who actually wants to join, as appears to be the case with regard to West Ham United sensation, Mateus Fernandes.

As per TEAMtalk, the Portuguese playmaker is now ‘very keen’ to join Carrick’s ranks this summer, said to view such a move as a ‘major step’ in his young career.

The report also notes that United are ramping up their interest after making new enquiries, with the Premier League giants now at the front of the queue for his signature.

Much may depend on whether or not the Hammers can stay up on the final day, although the east London side are currently demanding a minimum fee of around £80m.

Why Fernandes could actually be a better signing than Anderson

Chasing targets who’d rather be elsewhere hasn’t proven a wise move for United in the recent past, particularly when it comes to marquee deals.

There was a sense that Angel Di Maria was plucked from Real Madrid almost against his will, with Los Blancos keen to sell, while Alexis Sanchez admitted he wanted to return to Arsenal after just one day at Carrington.

If Anderson truly does favour a move to the Etihad, then so be it, with the Red Devils also previously stung by long-drawn-out sagas involving leading targets like Frenkie de Jong, the Dutchman always intent on staying at Barcelona in 2022.

Anderson, formerly of Newcastle United, could prove to be another key signing for City in the mould of Marc Guehi or Antoine Semenyo. He could also follow in the footsteps of Kalvin Phillips and Jack Grealish too, however.

That is the Geordie’s decision to make, while from a United perspective, talk of a £120m asking price should have alarm bells ringing, particularly with multiple midfield signings needed this summer.

Fernandes, still only 21, wouldn’t come cheap himself at £80m-£70m, but that difference could well be vital, with the former Southampton man having impressed himself across his two seasons in the Premier League.

Since joining the Saints from Sporting CP in 2024, he has racked up 12 goals and assists in the top-flight, a respectable record considering he has turned out for two struggling sides.

Six of those goal involvements have come this season, just shy of Anderson’s eight, while Fernandes does actually better his Forest counterpart with regard to his pass accuracy rate (88% vs 86%).

He’s creative but far less erratic in possession, having lost the ball just 9.2 times per game from his number eight berth, while Anderson has squandered possession 17.2 times per game on average.

Out of possession too, there isn’t much to split them, both players averaging 3.8 tackles and interceptions per game, while dribbled past 1.1 times per game apiece.

Where Fernandes might have the edge is his ability to flourish both as a number eight in a midfield two or midfield three, as well as his ability to feature as a number ten and on the flanks, mirroring Bruno Fernandes in that regard.

He already has a connection with the United skipper, amid their prior Sporting link, something which could again work in the Portuguese’s favour.

In the view of football writer Joost van der Leij too, he is already a “superstar“

There really isn’t much between Anderson and Fernandes this season, hence why the latter, for a lesser fee, could prove the better signing, not least due to his clear willingness to make the switch this summer.