Manchester United are preparing an offer to sign West Ham United midfielder Mateus Fernandes, according to journalist Gianluigi Longari.
The Red Devils recently reached a verbal agreement with Atalanta for Ederson. The Brazil international will formally join the club next month after his medical.
United are expected to pursue a second midfielder, and Longari reports that the club are ‘preparing’ an offer for West Ham’s Fernandes that could be submitted in the coming days.
United must not overpay for Fernandes’ signature
Fernandes has made good progress during his two seasons in the Premier League. He first moved to England with Southampton, who were immediately relegated from the top tier.
West Ham signed him from the Saints last summer for just over £40 million. The Portuguese had an impressive individual season despite the Hammers suffering relegation too.
The 21-year-old made 10 goal contributions from 42 appearances in all competitions. In league terms, he won almost six duels per outing alongside three tackles and five recoveries.
Fernandes, described as ‘special‘ by West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo, caught the eye with his positioning and relatively good distribution. He completed 38 passes with an accuracy of 87 percent, 50 percent of those in the opposition half.
United currently value the youngster at £40m, but the Hammers have slapped an £80m price tag on his head. In our view, the club must not overpay for the Portuguese’s services.
West Ham will need to recoup substantial funds to balance their books after their demotion to the Championship, and it has been reported that they require at least £150m from player sales.
Hence, we don’t feel the Hammers will stand firm on their valuation for Fernandes. A figure between £50m and £60m, with add-ons included, would represent a good deal for the Red Devils.
United already have a big admirer of Mateus in the form of captain Bruno Fernandes. The 31-year-old has personally talked up his compatriot’s credentials ahead of a possible summer move.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com
