Transfer speculation: Fernandes to encourage Manchester United to acquire Portugal colleague
Bruno Fernandes has identified a player he believes should be among Manchester United’s midfield targets this summer, while Chelsea is expected to once again turn to sister club Strasbourg to enhance their own roster.
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TRENDING RUMORS
– Manchester United is seeking to acquire two midfielders this summer, and as reported by The Sun, Bruno Fernandes will suggest that one of them be West Ham United’s Mateus Fernandes. United is anticipated to part ways with Casemiro this summer when his contract concludes and has been linked with several potential replacements, including Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson. Fernandes will advocate for the signing of his Portugal teammate, with United sporting director Hugo Viana already a notable admirer of the 21-year-old.
– Chelsea is in discussions to secure Strasbourg midfielder Valentín Barco, according to TalkSport. The 21-year-old made a permanent move to the Ligue 1 club last summer for £8 million after previously being on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion, and he may now reunite with Liam Rosenior by transitioning from Strasbourg to Stamford Bridge. The Argentina international has netted two goals and provided nine assists in 28 appearances across all competitions this season.
– Manchester United has been closely monitoring Bayern Munich winger Maycon Cardozo, as reported by TEAMtalk. The 17-year-old recently signed a new contract with Bayern and has since made his debut for the first team. United is reportedly impressed by his technical skills, although completing a transfer in the near future may be challenging due to his recent contract extension.
– Atlético Madrid is preparing to submit their initial offer for Atalanta midfielder Éderson, with a bid of €35 million plus €3 million in add-ons, as reported by Sky Sports Italia. This amount falls short of the €50 million that Atalanta expects for the 26-year-old. Éderson has already reached an agreement on a four-year contract with Atlético, valued at €5 million per season, along with a €2 million signing bonus. Negotiations seem to have commenced, and Atleti is making proactive efforts to finalize a deal.
– Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Newcastle United are among the clubs interested in Blackburn Rovers defender Tom Atcheson, according to TEAMtalk. The 19-year-old has advanced to the senior level for Blackburn and Northern Ireland under Michael O’Neill, which has attracted further Premier League interest from Sunderland, Everton, Brentford, and Brighton & Hove Albion. He is also being scouted by European clubs such as RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund, Atalanta, and Napoli.
EXPERT TAKE
ESPN’s resident scout Tor-Kristian Karlsen ranked Mateus Fernandes at No. 33 in his list of the top U21 players in global football. He noted:
Last season, Fernandes faced relegation with Southampton despite winning both the Player of the Season and Fan’s Player of the Season awards for the club, but he only played three matches in the Championship before making a £40 million transfer to West Ham. However, he finds himself in a similar situation this season, as West Ham is fighting to avoid relegation.
Fernandes is a central midfielder who contributes both defensively and offensively. He excels in tackles, pressing, and regaining possession—158 duels place him in the 95th percentile among midfielders—while also possessing the vision to execute excellent long passes (61.1% success rate) and identify deep runs from teammates.
He typically covers significant ground and reads threats effectively, winning numerous loose balls, while managing well under pressure and transitioning play swiftly. This, combined with his adept dribbling at high speed, makes him valuable at both ends of the pitch. His three goals this season—including the fastest Premier League goal of the campaign, scored just 29 seconds into a match against Aston Villa—indicate his ability to find himself in advantageous scoring positions.
See the full list here.
OTHER RUMORS
play0:57Hutchison: Cucurella ‘out of order’ for Chelsea transfer policy criticism
Don Hutchison responds to Marc Cucurella’s recent remarks regarding Chelsea’s transfer strategy.
– Chelsea is keen on Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs but faces competition from Liverpool and Manchester City. (Football Insider)
– Minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe aims for Manchester United to generate £100 million from player departures, with Manuel Ugarte, Joshua Zirkzee, Andre Onana, Rasmus Hojlund, and Marcus Rashford all expected to leave. (The Sun)
– Liverpool, Inter Milan, Juventus, and Tottenham Hotspur are all monitoring Atalanta’s Cagliari loanee Marco Palestra. (Caught Offside)
– Juventus and Como have both dispatched scouts to observe Real Valladolid attacking midfielder Chuki in recent weeks. RB Leipzig and Stuttgart have already made inquiries for the 21-year-old. (La Gazzetta dello Sport)
– Juventus may be open to allowing Gleison Bremer to depart during the summer transfer window. (La Gazzetta dello Sport)
– Juventus is considering players from Genoa, including right-back Brooke Norton-Cuffy, striker Jeff Ekhator, and center back Leo Skiri Ostigard. (La Gazzetta dello Sport)
– Roma is strategizing to acquire Almeria attacking midfielder Sergio Arribas and is also interested in Kerim Alajbegovic, whose re-sign clause has been activated to transfer him from RB Salzburg to Bayer Leverkusen. (Corriere dello Sport)
– AC Milan and Napoli are also pursuing Kerim Alajbegovic, with the former sending scouts to observe him during Bosnia & Herzegovina’s victory against Wales. (Corriere dello Sport)
– Paris Saint-Germain Feminines have reached an agreement with Real Madrid striker Naomie Feller. (L’Equipe)
– Several Premier League clubs are keeping an eye on Sassuolo centre-back Tarik Muharemovic. (Nicolo Schira)
– Ollie Watkins is increasingly likely to depart Aston Villa during the summer transfer window. (Football Insider)
