Man Utd make improved Mateus Fernandes offer after Tottenham hijack

27 Jun 2026 14:54 BST | 4 min read

Tom Weber | Writer

Multilingual sports writer who specialises in European football and American soccer.

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Manchester United are upping the ante in their pursuit of West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes as they look to beat Tottenham to his signing.

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The Portugal international is currently the subject of a massive tug-of-war between the Red Devils and Spurs following West Ham's relegation. Although the East London outfit insist that they want to keep Fernandes, it seems doubtful that he is willing to play Championship football.

For weeks, Man Utd looked to be in the box seat for Fernandes. Personal terms were not thought to be an issue, with negotiations with West Ham proving a much bigger stumbling block.

Current ETV

Mateus Fernandes

M (C)

West Ham

Mateus Fernandes

M (C)

West Ham

ETV Range

€26.1M - €31.8M

However, Spurs' strong move for the 21-year-old has now blown the race wide open again. Unlike Man Utd, who are reluctant to match West Ham's €90+ million asking price, Tottenham have indicated that they are ready to pay €100m for Fernandes.

At that price, Man Utd may have to give up on him, given that they are trying to remain financially disciplined this summer. With an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of just €28.9m, there is certainly a discussion to be had about whether he is actually worth such a hefty fee.

Man Utd make fresh offer

Nevertheless, Man Utd are not throwing in the towel just yet. According to Matteo Moretto, the Old Trafford club have held fresh talks with the entourage of Fernandes and intimated that they are ready to improve their contract offer to the youngster.

The idea, clearly, is to secure full buy-in from Fernandes in order to get him to snub Tottenham, which would leave West Ham with no choice but to lower their asking price unless other suitors - like Arsenal or PSG - also show a willingness to spend €100m on the youngster.

Following Spurs' strong push, Man Utd are now trying to "get ahead" again, and "direct talks" with West Ham are planned in an attempt to find common ground.

The following days are likely to provide more clarity on the outcome of Man Utd's new discussions. Having already missed out on Elliot Anderson to Man City, the Red Devils are determined not to let Fernandes slip through their fingers.

Whether they are willing to match Spurs' ambitious spending, however, remains to be seen.

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