Decisions were made – Man Utd’s £80 million midfield target was actually sold before by Ruben Amorim
Ruben Amorim once sold Manchester United’s top summer transfer target, and now the player could cost the club millions. After a strong finish to the season under Michael Carrick, Manchester United are definitely going to be in the Champions League next season.
This means the club will have a much bigger transfer budget to spend in the summer window, with several important signings expected ahead of the 2026/27 season. United also need to decide if they want to keep Carrick as their permanent manager or bring in someone new.
Talks are already happening, including discussions with Carrick, about possible new players. One name linked to the club is West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes. United’s captain, Bruno Fernandes, has recommended his Portugal teammate to the club’s leaders. This would be another tough moment for Amorim, who had to sell Fernandes when he was a young player at Sporting.
Fernandes broke into the first team in 2022 and was one of 27 academy players given their debut by Amorim. But he only made 10 appearances before being sold to Southampton for £15 million in 2024. At the time, Amorim said: “We had to sell. We lost a very talented young player who I believe could be great. But choices had to be made. Mateus was important to us, and I also think he wanted to stay despite having a good contract and a chance to go to a big league. It was a hard moment for everyone, but as coach, I had to make those decisions.”
Fernandes played 46 times for Southampton before moving to West Ham last summer for about £42 million. Now, less than a year later, West Ham don’t want to let him go and would only consider selling him for double what they paid.
Manchester United are careful with their money and might walk away from deals to stay financially stable. It’s unclear if they would be ready to pay around £80 million for Fernandes, especially since they have other midfield targets. But West Ham’s asking price could change depending on their fight to stay in the Premier League. If they get relegated, they would likely have to sell big players at a lower price.