Man Utd Transfer News: Why Red Devils Are Prioritising Fernandes Over Anderson & Wharton
Ben McAleer
Manchester United’s priority this summer was always going to be to strengthen in central midfield. Casemiro’s exit combined with Manuel Ugarte’s likely departure would have left just Kobbie Mainoo as the only senior option at the base in Michael Carrick’s favoured 4-2-3-1 setup.
United have already gone some way to bolstering in a key area. Brazilian Ederson is expected to make the move to Old Trafford before long. His call up to the national team for the 2026 World Cup following Wesley’s injury has delayed the announcement
However, Ederson can’t be the only midfield name through the Old Trafford entrance this summer, however. With a return to European football, Carrick needs options in the middle of the park.
One of those is West Ham star Mateus Fernandes. The Portuguese midfielder suffered a second successive Premier League relegation last month but his performances in a West Ham shirt have caught the attention of Europe’s big hitters.
Indeed, United are not the only side to have been credited with an interest in the 21-year-old. European champions Paris Saint-Germain have also been linked with a move for Fernandes. So, too, have Real Madrid, though it’s fair to say Los Blancos have bigger priorities following Florentino Perez’s presidential election win.
Why do Man Utd want Fernandes?
Fernandes is far and away West Ham’s most sellable asset. As such, they’re demanding a hefty fee for the former Sporting CP and Southampton man. The Hammers are believed to have set an £85m asking price for the midfielder, who scored three goals and provided four assists in the Premier League last season.
That said, there is more to Fernandes’ game than just goals and assists. As a traditional box-to-box number 8, Fernandes’ best quality is arguably his ball-winning capability. Admittedly, West Ham conceded the third most goals (65) in England’s top tier last term.
That return would have been higher were it not for the 21-year-old, who made the fifth most tackles (103) in the division, this despite missing the opening two matches of the season. It’s what Fernandes does with the ball when he does win possession that also catches the eye.
A driver on the ball, Fernandes may have completed just 28 dribbles in the 2025-26 Premier League season, but he still managed a commendable 52.8% success rate. This was for a West Ham side that returned the lowest possession haul (42.3%) in the Premier League.
Just 23% of their attacks, the lowest proportion, came through the middle of the pitch. He didn’t really get a chance to showcase this side to his game on a regular basis. That’ll be expected to change at United, with 28% of their attacks coming through the middle of the pitch last season. 51.6% possession is a hefty rise, too.
And taking into account that Mainoo ranked third for successful dribbles (19) of all United players, despite his limited action, there’s evidently the desire for the central midfielder to carry the ball upfield and punch a hole in the opposition defence.
Fernandes over Anderson and Wharton?
But why Fernandes over, say, Elliot Anderson or Adam Wharton? The England pair have both been linked with a summer move to Old Trafford on the back of stand out displays for Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace, respectively. The reason behind interest in both Fernandes and Anderson makes sense.
The players are comparable in both their seasonal stats and style of play given their respective desire to win possession and break forward. However, Anderson is wanted by rivals Manchester City. The England star is supposedly keen on a move to the Etihad Stadium over Old Trafford, despite City’s managerial change.
In addition, despite Fernandes’ hefty price tag, Anderson will cost substantially more with Forest reportedly demanding upwards of £100m for the former Newcastle man.
What’s more, Wharton is a different sort of profile of midfielder to both Fernandes and Anderson. Whereas the latter pair are effective ball winners with the desire to drive possession forward, the former looks to maximise his range of passing to break down teams.
He’s a different profile of midfielder to both Fernandes and Anderson, and one that United may not need to pursue given the impending addition of Ederson.
Either way, it’s easy to understand United’s interest in Fernandes and West Ham’s reluctance to sell below market value. The young Portugal international has proven how effective he is for two relegation-threatened sides. It’s only natural he makes the step up to a team that is competing in Europe’s elite club competition.
United don’t want to pay over the odds for Anderson, who is supposedly eager to join rivals City anyway, especially as a more affordable alternative is available.
With the midfield refresh going according to plan so far, Fernandes is another piece of the puzzle that will only improve United’s chances of building upon a successful domestic campaign.
