Tottenham's pursuit of Mateus Fernandes has been thrown into doubt after Manchester United made a huge late offer for the West Ham midfielder, according to reports.
Spurs had been leading the race for the 21-year-old Portugal international, with talks progressing positively and the club optimistic of reaching an agreement. West Ham value Fernandes at around £80m, a price tag that has also attracted interest from Paris St-Germain.
“Manchester United make huge offer to beat Tottenham to £80m-rated West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes.”
But in the last hours, Manchester United have moved to hijack the deal with a substantial bid of their own, potentially overtaking Tottenham as favourites to land the playmaker.
Tottenham had turned to Fernandes after having an £80m bid for Newcastle's Sandro Tonali rejected last week. Spurs boss Roberto de Zerbi is a long-time admirer of his compatriot Tonali, who has four years left on his contract and recently signed a new deal to repay the faith shown by the club during his 10-month ban for breaching betting rules.
With Tonali out of reach for now, Tottenham accelerated their interest in Fernandes. The North London club have made a fast start to the summer transfer window, already signing four players: goalkeeper Martin Dubravka on a free transfer from Burnley, defenders Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson also on free transfers from Bournemouth and Liverpool respectively, and Netherlands defender Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton for £52m.
Manchester United's entry into the race adds a new dimension to the saga, with both Premier League heavyweights now vying for Fernandes' signature. Whether Spurs can fend off the late challenge remains to be seen.