According to The Sun, Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has identified West Ham United ace Mateus Fernandes as his potential successor at the club.
Man United are expected to bolster their midfield department at the end of the ongoing Premier League season. They will have to replace Casemiro, who will leave on a free transfer when his contract concludes on June 30.
The Sun claim that United are prepared to spend £80 million on a marquee replacement. The Red Devils could also sign a secondary midfielder and Fernandes is set to recommend Mateus, who was once with Sporting CP.
West Ham are facing a tough battle against relegation. If they fail to beat the Premier League drop, they could be forced to part ways with their £40 million signing after posting record financial losses for 2024/25, as per The Sun.
Quality
Mateus initially arrived in the Premier League with Southampton from Sporting. He had a difficult introduction to English football but showed glimpses of his potential. West Ham still decided to sign him after the Saints were relegated to the Championship, and that has paid dividends with the Portuguese standing out in several league matches this season.
The 21-year-old has accumulated 9 goal involvements from 35 appearances in all competitions. He has exhibited his versatility as a central and attacking midfielder in the English top-flight. The youngster has a passing accuracy of 88 percent and has also worked hard defensively. He has won 5.5 duels, 2.8 tackles and made 5 recoveries per appearance for the Hammers.
At just 21, he has shown plenty of maturity in the centre of the park for the east London outfit and could be key to preserving their top-flight status. If that does not happen, the Red Devils could pounce on the opportunity to recruit the Portuguese for £40 million or even less, suppose there is a low relegation release clause attached to his Hammers contract.
If Nuno Santos’ side stay in the Premier League, the scenario could be completely different. United may need to make a huge outlay for his services, which could divert their attention to other cheaper alternatives for a second midfielder after the marquee signing.
