Manchester United’s summer midfield shopping list keeps growing, but the price tags attached to some of those names are getting harder to justify. Gary Neville, never one to hold back on what his old club should do, thinks the answer might be playing right now at the World Cup in a Borussia Dortmund jersey.
The Red Devils already locked in a deal for Atlanta’s Ederson this summer, but they’re still hunting for at least one more body in the middle of the park. Elliot Anderson was their top target, but it’s looking more and more like Manchester City is going to beat them to that signing. So United moved on to West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes, a player who’s reportedly agreed to personal terms with the club already. But the reported price? Around £100 million. That’s where Neville starts raising an eyebrow.
“The more he plays like he did the other night the more expensive he’ll get,” Neville said on ITV Sport, talking about Dortmund’s Felix Nmecha. “But at the moment, we hear Manchester United are being quoted £100 million for the West Ham boy Fernandes, so they’re going to have to be looking around this tournament and parts of Europe.”
Nmecha has been turning heads for Germany at the World Cup. He’s got size, athleticism, and a right foot that makes defenders nervous. Neville wasn’t the only one impressed. Arsenal legend Ian Wright jumped in too, saying Nmecha looks like he’s got everything. “When you look at him he breaks lines, he gets into the box, he’s got Kimmich to come in and fill in for him. He can play as a No.8 or No.10, we can see he can finish, you can see why teams are interested in him.”
Duncan Ferguson, the former Everton striker, chimed in with his own scouting report. “He’s a very good player, a young player, he’s got a very good right foot, he’s athletic, he can get around the pitch. It looks like he can get in the box, he can defend, he’s a good size, he’s young, you can see why people are after him.”
So there’s plenty of noise around Nmecha, and United have a decision to make. Go huge on Fernandes, who’s already got a Premier League track record, or take a swing on a guy who’s lighting it up at a major tournament and might not cost as much. Dortmund isn’t exactly known for giving players away cheap, but £100 million is a different stratosphere.
To make things messier, Tottenham is also sniffing around Fernandes. The Athletic’s David Ornstein reported earlier this week that Spurs are interested, and some outlets claim they’re closing in on personal terms with the West Ham midfielder. So United might not even have a clear runway on that deal.
Neville’s point is pretty simple: if you’re going to spend that kind of money, make sure you’re getting the right guy. And right now, Nmecha’s World Cup run is making him look like the better bet.
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