For the second time in a week, Manchester United have watched a midfield target slip away. Tottenham Hotspur agreed to pay West Ham £85m for Mateus Fernandes, a player United had pushed hard for but ultimately felt Spurs would outbid them at £90m. Just days earlier, Manchester City had smashed their club record with a £116m deal for Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson, United's first-choice midfield target – a price the club were not prepared to match.
The failed pursuits leave United's summer window in a precarious state. Out-of-contract players Casemiro and Jadon Sancho have left, while Rasmus Hojlund's £38m exit to Napoli was confirmed in May. Marcus Rashford and Andre Onana remain at Old Trafford, but no new faces have arrived. The only incoming deal agreed so far is for Atalanta's Ederson, a £35m move delayed by his late call-up to Brazil's World Cup squad. The midfielder's medical will not happen until Brazil – who play Norway in the last 16 on 5 July – are eliminated, after which he will take a minimum three weeks off.
“Manchester United have missed out on two midfield targets and are yet to sign a player this summer.”
United want at least one, and possibly two, more midfield options. After missing out on Fernandes, the club are assessing the situation. They have been linked with Bournemouth's Alex Scott, though Arsenal have been informed the 22-year-old is not for sale. Other names include Bournemouth's Tyler Adams, Brighton's Carlos Baleba, and Felix Nmecha, a former Manchester City academy player known to United's director of football Jason Wilcox. The position of Real Madrid's Aurelien Tchouameni continues to be monitored, but the feeling is he will stay at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Lille prospect Ayyoub Bouaddi has also been linked following his standout performances at the World Cup, with Lille president Olivier Letang reportedly sharing the club's stance on the 18-year-old's future. Chelsea's Andrey Santos is another name in the frame. United sources insist their approach is responsible, but as July begins and the new season approaches, the clock is ticking on a window that has so far delivered only departures.