Manchester United is sitting back and watching the clock tick on West Ham’s finances. And they like what they see.
The relegated Hammers need to raise somewhere around £150 million before June 30 to avoid breaking financial rules. That’s a lot of pressure. And it’s exactly why United thinks the £85 million price tag on Mateus Fernandes is going to drop.
West Ham already posted a £104 million loss last year. That was before they got dumped out of the Premier League. Now the math gets ugly fast. The financial year ends in a week and a half, and the club needs serious cash.
United has made Fernandes a top target this summer. The 21-year-old Portugal midfielder made his senior national team debut back in March and has been on the radar for Real Madrid and PSG too. But United has done the groundwork here. They’ve talked to the player’s camp. They’re confident he wants Old Trafford.
West Ham signed Fernandes from Southampton last summer for about £38 million. Southampton also holds a 15 percent sell-on clause, so West Ham would love to spark a bidding war to maximize the payout. But the clock is working against them. Multiple big names are expected to leave the London Stadium, and not every deal can close at full price.
Fernandes isn’t the only one drawing interest. Crysencio Summerville scored twice for the Netherlands at the World Cup, and he’s got Premier League suitors too. United, Tottenham, and PSG are all watching that situation. Jarrod Bowen, Konstantinos Mavropanos, and January signing Taty Castellanos also have teams circling.
But Fernandes is the priority for United right now. And the club’s confidence is hard to argue with. If West Ham needs to clear £150 million in a week and a half, they can’t afford to hold out for top dollar on every single player. Something has to give.
United expects that something to be Fernandes’ price tag.
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