West Ham Wants £85M for Mateus Fernandes. Manchester United Isn’t Backing Down.

Manchester United is all in on Mateus Fernandes. The 21-year-old Portuguese midfielder is the primary target for Michael Carrick this summer, and according to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg, the club is fully determined to get this done.

Plettenberg posted on X that personal terms are essentially settled. Fernandes wants the move to Old Trafford. He wants Champions League football under Carrick, and that is a serious selling point for a kid who just watched West Ham drop to the Championship. The player side is done. Now it’s about the money.

West Ham is asking for £85 million. That’s a lot for a guy who just turned 21, even one who was arguably the best player on a relegated side. United’s opening offers are expected to come in below that number, but internally the deal is viewed as a priority. The club believes they can get there.

Tottenham Is the Wild Card

But it’s not just a straight line from West Ham to Manchester. Tottenham is in this thing deep. Roberto De Zerbi’s Spurs are reportedly willing to match that £85 million asking price. They can offer big wages too. The North London club has made midfield the centerpiece of their summer rebuild.

There’s been reporting that Spurs have already held positive talks with Fernandes’ camp. Advanced talks, even. But here’s the thing: Tottenham hasn’t been in the Champions League for a while. Their league form has been shaky for two years running. That matters to a player who wants to play on the biggest stage.

And according to multiple reports, Fernandes prefers United. He likes the project. He likes Carrick. He likes the idea of wearing that red shirt next season. That preference gives United real leverage, even if Spurs can match the fee.

United is confident. But confident doesn’t mean done. West Ham is under no pressure to sell cheap just because they’re in the Championship. They know what they have, and they know the market for a young midfield creator with Premier League experience. £85 million is the opening ask, and they might not budge much.

For now, the ball is in United’s court. They have the player’s heart. They need to convince the club’s wallet. That’s the tricky part.