Manchester United reportedly abandoned their pursuit of Portuguese midfielder Mateus Fernandes after sensing negative vibes.
The Red Devils had turned to the 21-year-old after missing out on Elliot Anderson, who joined Manchester City for a whopping £116 million.
Fernandes became their primary target to bolster the middle of the park, but Jason Wilcox and Co. eventually decided he wasn’t the right man for the job.
Why Man Utd distanced themselves from Mateus Fernandes
At one point, Man Utd emerged as the frontrunners to sign Mateus Fernandes, who identified his compatriot Bruno Fernandes as his football role model.
The youngster is a Sporting Club youth product who arrived in England in the summer of 2024. The midfielder suffered back-to-back relegations to the Championship, first with Southampton and then West Ham United, but it certainly didn’t affect his reputation, as several top clubs were queuing for his services, while the Hammers set their price tag at £85 million.
Fernandes ended up joining Tottenham, who were more than happy to satisfy West Ham’s request.
While it was said that Man Utd were only willing to pay £80 million as a fixed fee, ESPN journalist Rob Dawson believes cash wasn’t the main issue, but rather what they perceived to be an uncertain attitude on the player’s part, which gave club officials flashbacks to Jadon Sancho’s tranfer from Borussia Dortmund back in 2021.
At the time, the Red Devils spent £80 million on the English international, even though he appeared reluctant to join them. In the end, the winger endured a torrid spell at United.
His first two and a half years were characterised by poor displays on the pitch and public spats with Erik ten Hag. He then spent the remaining two and a half years of his contract away on loan at Dortmund, Chelsea, and finally Aston Villa.
INEOS only want players who truly desire Man United
As Dawson explains, Man Utd felt they were better off without Fernandes. They have since signed Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans for a combined £85 million.
Unlike the young Portuguese, United’s new duo didn’t show any hesitation to join Michael Carrick’s ranks, and they appear delighted to be at Carrington.
Club officials believe this positive attitude was instrumental in the swift settling of last summer’s signings Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, who immediately adjusted to their new surroundings.
All in all, INEOS believe that playing for MUFC should be a privilege rather than a contractual obligation, and they’re basing their recruitment on finding players who agree with this notion.
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