West Ham's relegation to the Championship has left the club facing a fire sale. Last year they lost £104.2m, and more than £100m must be raised in transfer sales this summer. Leading the exodus could be Mateus Fernandes, the Portugal midfielder who joined from Southampton for £38m just a year ago.
Manchester United are leading the race for the 21-year-old, according to sources. Arsenal, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain have also shown interest, but the strongest early moves have come from Old Trafford as Michael Carrick looks to bolster his midfield. United have already signed Éderson from Atalanta, but with Casemiro leaving on a free transfer, further reinforcements are a priority.
“Manchester United lead the race for West Ham's £80m-rated Mateus Fernandes after the club's relegation and £104.2m loss.”
West Ham hope to receive £80m for Fernandes, though their financial predicament may force them to accept less. Arsenal are thought to feel the asking price is too high, while Real Madrid — who have just reappointed José Mourinho as manager — could push for the player. United believe Fernandes is likeliest to choose them if he stays in England.
Fernandes is not the only asset West Ham expect to lose. Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville are attracting interest, with the latter potentially in even bigger demand if he impresses for the Netherlands at the World Cup. Everton are considering a move for Argentinian striker Taty Castellanos.
United are also interested in Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson, but are likely to be outbid by Manchester City for the England midfielder. Defensively, Carrick's side are reportedly monitoring Bayern Munich centre-back Kim Min-jae at the World Cup, with Juventus also said to be keen. Kim made 37 appearances last season as Bayern won the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal.
Carrick already has options at centre-back including Harry Maguire, Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven, but Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt saw their seasons disrupted by injury. With Champions League football ahead, United are determined to strengthen across the pitch.