Why £85m target could be Man Utd’s answer to Declan Rice

Excluding the previously exiled Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo is the only current Manchester United player to have been selected in England’s World Cup squad, following the surprise omissions of both Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire.

That situation could well have been far different had United secured their leading targets over the years, namely chasing Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane in 2020 and 2023, respectively.

Another key member of Thomas Tuchel’s spine, Declan Rice, was also a long-term target of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and co, prior to his £105m switch to Arsenal three years ago, a player, like Kane, many felt would’ve been snapped up in bygone days under Sir Alex Ferguson.

Rice’s Three Lions colleague, Elliot Anderson, may well represent the latest missed chance in that regard for the Red Devils, although INEOS do at least have alternatives in mind this summer.

Man Utd readying contract offer to seal next summer signing

Six months on from seeing Antoine Semenyo depart for the Etihad, United have been forced to witness rivals Manchester City snap up another leading target in the form of Anderson, with a bumper £116m deal having been struck.

INEOS have, at least, not put all their eggs in one basket, with Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni also the subject of enquiries, while Germany star Felix Nmecha is believed to favour an Old Trafford switch despite interest from Newcastle United.

There does appear to be a desire to pursue targets that actually want to join, following the saga involving Frenkie de Jong four years ago, with that perhaps a key reason why United didn’t enter the bidding for Anderson.

Hopefully, there should be no such issues amid the ongoing pursuit of West Ham United’s Mateus Fernandes, with TEAMtalk reporting that the Red Devils are still confident that the £85m-rated Portuguese wishes to join them.

That comes at a time when Tottenham Hotspur are also firmly in the mix, although United are hopeful that the 21-year-old’s desire for an Old Trafford switch could allow them to negotiate a lower fee of around £70m, should he go public with that stance.

As per Claret and Hugh, both clubs have already outlined a contract offer of roughly £140k-per-week (£7.3m-per-year), amid an agreement on personal terms, with that said to have turned the midfielder’s head.

Why Fernandes could be Man Utd’s answer to Rice

When the Gunners snapped up Rice in the summer of 2023, it felt like something of a sure thing at the time, with the Englishman fresh from having led West Ham to Conference League glory.

As it has proved, the 27-year-old has arguably even exceeded expectations at the Emirates, now among the leading midfielders in the world and the driving force behind Mikel Arteta’s Premier League title push last term.

At Old Trafford, Michael Carrick is in need of his own midfield figurehead, something that Fernandes could potentially provide, following a fine campaign with the Hammers.

Now, at just 21, the Portuguese isn’t exactly the finished article, while he has only enjoyed two seasons of Premier League football, certainly different to a young Rice in that regard.

And yet, there is a completeness to his game that certainly mirrors the Arsenal man, a player who could genuinely explode if offered the chance to flourish in a more elite outfit.

A shining light in a struggling side at the London Stadium last term, much like Rice before him, Fernandes is another all-action, almost old-fashioned midfielder, capable of influencing proceedings both in and out of possession.

Across 2025/26, for instance, he scored and assisted seven goals from his number eight berth, a fine return considering he largely lined up as part of a midfield two alongside an ageing Tomas Soucek.

He’s a progressive, probing midfielder who’s always looking forward, as seen in the fact that he averaged one key pass per game last season.

Off the ball too, Fernandes was immense at regaining possession, averaging 3.9 tackles and interceptions per game in the Premier League, alongside recovering 5.1 balls per game.

For comparison, look back to Rice’s own final season at West Ham, and the likeness is almost scary.

That 2022/23 campaign saw the then-Irons skipper score and assist six goals, while averaging one key pass per game. He also created three ‘big chances’, as many as Fernandes achieved this time around.

Defensively too, Rice boasted a similar average of 3.8 tackles and interceptions per game, while successfully completing 0.9 successful dribbles per game – just ahead of Fernandes’ 0.9 average from 2025/26.

That remarkable similarity certainly bodes well for the impact that the ex-Southampton starlet can make if he is to seal a bumper move to Old Trafford, with West Ham seemingly a fine breeding ground for midfield superstars in the making.