Man Utd Chase Dual Midfield Targets Worth £170m as Fernandes Race Heats Up

Manchester United are casting their net wide in the midfield market, with two Premier League stars now firmly in their sights as viable acquisitions regardless of whether they can land West Ham's Mateus Fernandes ahead of Tottenham.

The Old Trafford hierarchy have already secured Atalanta's Ederson for £35m, but INEOS are keen to bolster their engine room further with Casemiro's departure confirmed and Manuel Ugarte seemingly destined for the exit door.

After being priced out of a move for Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson—Manchester City having tabled a £120m bid—United have pivoted towards Fernandes. The 21-year-old has attracted interest from Real Madrid and Tottenham, with Spurs seemingly making serious inroads. Reports suggest the north London club have accelerated talks with both the player's representatives and West Ham in recent days, with Tottenham preparing an offer in the region of £75m, edging closer to the Hammers' initial £80m asking price.

However, The Sun's sources have cast doubt on the genuine nature of Spurs' pursuit, with Real Madrid apparently confident that Fernandes will ultimately join United.

Should the Fernandes deal prove elusive, Brighton's Carlos Baleba and Bournemouth's Alex Scott emerge as the fallback options. Baleba reportedly commanded a £100m valuation when United made enquiries last summer, while Scott is valued at £70m by the Cherries. Both are considered realistic targets by the INEOS contingent, though any move hinges on shifting Ugarte, with the club prepared to accept a modest loss on the Argentine midfielder.

Fresh inquiries have been lodged for Scott this week as United continue evaluating their midfield options, potentially as a contingency should Fernandes slip away. Yet new Bournemouth boss Marco Rose is determined to keep the 22-year-old at Dean Court, with the club making it clear he remains unavailable. Rose views Scott as fundamental to his rebuild and has been emphatic in internal discussions about retaining the midfielder as a priority for his maiden campaign in charge.