Man Utd stunned as Jose Mourinho asks Real Madrid to sign €93m star

7 Jun 2026 12:08 BST | 4 min read

Cameron Smith | Digital Content Producer

Accredited sports journalist covering football since 2020

Manchester United have been dealt a major blow in their pursuit of Mateus Fernandes as Jose Mourinho has reportedly asked Real Madrid to sign the West Ham United midfielder this summer.

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Fernandes, 21, was one of West Ham’s standout performers during the 2025-26 season and he is widely expected to leave the club on a permanent deal when the summer window opens following their relegation to the Championship.

Current ETV

Mateus Fernandes

M (C)

West Ham

Mateus Fernandes

M (C)

West Ham

ETV Range

€26.1M - €31.8M

Multiple reports have confirmed that a fee of around €93 million (£80m) will be required to secure Fernandes’ signature this summer, with West Ham eager to earn a tidy profit after signing him from Southampton last year, and he has been earmarked as one of Man Utd’s top midfield targets.

Michael Carrick’s side have already reached a full agreement to sign Atalanta star Ederson as a replacement for his compatriot Casemiro, who has left the club upon the expiration of his contract, but they remain keen to sign at least one more midfielder before the summer window closes on 1 September.

The club are expected to sanction the permanent sale of Manuel Ugarte and they have identified Fernandes as a potential signing, alongside the likes of Carlos Baleba (Brighton & Hove Albion), Alex Scott (Bournemouth), Sandro Tonali (Newcastle United) and Aurelien Tchouameni (Real Madrid).

However, Arsenal are set to seriously challenge Man Utd for Fernandes’ signature, while Spanish outlet AS have now reported that Mourinho wants Real Madrid to bring the West Ham midfielder to the Bernabeu this summer.

Jose Mourinho wants Mateus Fernandes

Mourinho will be appointed as the new Real Madrid manager if Florentino Perez wins the presidential election against Enrique Riquelme, with a deal in place to bring him back to the club after an impressive season in charge of Benfica.

It’s understood that Inter Milan right-back Denzel Dumfries and Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konate will become Mourinho’s first two signings of his second spell at Los Blancos, while the Spanish giants are also expected to trigger their buy-back clause on Como attacker Nico Paz.

However, Mourinho also wants Real Madrid to complete the signing of Fernandes, as per AS, as he looks to freshen up the midfield options at the Bernabeu.

Fernandes made 39 appearances for West Ham last season, scoring five goals and providing four assists, and he could be set to replace Eduardo Camavinga in the Real Madrid squad, following rumours linking the Frenchman with a summer exit.

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