Manager Jose Mourinho has asked Real Madrid to sign West Ham United midfielder Mateus Fernandes as he prepares to take charge at the club for a second time, according to The Sun.
Manchester United recently reached a verbal agreement with Atalanta to sign midfielder Ederson, and it has been reported that they could submit an offer for Fernandes in the next few days.
The Red Devils currently value him at around £40 million after West Ham’s relegation to the Championship, but the Hammers remain firm on their £80m price tag for Fernandes.
Amidst this, The Sun claim that Mourinho has urged Madrid to make an approach for the Hammers ace. The Portuguese tactician is poised to become Los Blancos’ next manager with Florentino Perez having won the club’s presidential election with a 65 percent majority last night.
Mourinho could scupper United’s pursuit of Fernandes. There is reportedly further competition with European champions Paris Saint-Germain also weighing up a proposal for the 21-year-old.
United must not pay over the odds for Fernandes
West Ham have been relegated from the top-flight after a 14-year stay, but the east London outfit are still determined to secure the best possible transfer fee for Fernandes’ departure.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side need to recoup £150m from player sales to balance their books, and it is unsurprising that they are reluctant to negotiate a cut-price exit for Fernandes.
United are unlikely to sign him at their valuation (£40m), and we believe the club should pay at most £50m as a fixed fee with £10m in add-ons for the midfielder, given his huge potential.
Fernandes was one of the Hammers’ standout performers last term. He had a passing accuracy of 87 percent and was solid defensively with six duels and three tackles won per game alongside five recoveries. He also chipped in with five goals and five assists across all competitions.
The Portuguese would be a perfect competitor alongside Ederson for the no.6 position, but the Red Devils must not be held to ransom or overpay for the Sporting CP graduate.
West Ham would ideally prefer a bidding tussle. They previously secured around £105m from Arsenal for Declan Rice, having initiated contact with Manchester City to raise the price from £80m.
Rice joined the Gunners with a proven track record and winning mentality, but Fernandes is still at the start of his career, and £80m would represent a hefty package for his services this summer.
Fernandes is said to be prioritising a move to the Red Devils. He has described United captain Bruno as his ‘biggest role model‘. The 31-year-old could play a major role in bringing his young compatriot to Old Trafford if United can secure a suitable deal with the Hammers ahead of Madrid.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com
