Sky Sports: Man Utd prepared to raise offer for top target as they risk running out of time

Manchester United are embroiled in a tug-of-war with Tottenham Hotspur for the services of Mateus Fernandes.

After securing a deal with Atalanta for Ederson, the Red Devils identified the West Ham star as their desired second midfield acquisition.

However, recruiting Fernandes won’t be easy for Man Utd, as they face competition from Spurs, not to mention the Hammers’ hefty asking price.

Man Utd ready to go beyond £60m for Mateus Fernandes

On Wednesday afternoon, Sky Sports delivered a fresh update on the developing situation, claiming that Tottenham are willing to pay £85 million, which could effectively blow MUFC out of the water.

But while United feel £60 million would be a fair price, the source believes they are prepared to go beyond this figure.

However, it remains to be seen if this will prove sufficient to convince West Ham, especially with the Spurs offering more money.

It should be noted that Man Utd have prevailed in previous transfer sagas despite offering a lower bid. This ensued last summer when they sealed a deal for Bryan Mbeumo. Interestingly, their main challenger in that particular case was also Tottenham, with their then-manager Thomas Frank keen to reunite with his Brentford pupil.

In these cases, the player’s preference can be the determining factor. Mateus had identified Bruno Fernandes as his football role model, so the temptation of playing alongside his compatriot could give United a significant advantage.

What if Man United fail to land Fernandes

After ruling out a move for Manchester City-bound Elliot Anderson, Man Utd have turned to Fernandes, considering him their primary target. However, that’s not to say that the club has closed the door on all other candidates.

As reported earlier today, MUFC remain interested in Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott, who is also a target for Arsenal.

Moreover, United could emerge as the leading candidate to sign Aurlien Tchouameni should Real Madrid decide to place the Frenchman on the market following his infamous training-ground brawl with Federico Valverde.