United View: Spurs win race for Fernandes

We are only a few weeks into this summer’s transfer window, and it already feels like Manchester United’s hopes of a strong midfield rebuild are slipping away. 

Strengthening in the middle of the park was the Reds’ top priority at the start of the window, but with a handful of top targets seemingly set to move elsewhere, Michael Carrick’s side may be forced to look towards their plan B or even plan C options. 

Elliot Anderson was clearly at the summit of that list, but with the Forest star edging increasingly closer to a move to the blue side of Manchester, United began to turn their attention to West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes. 

But astonishingly, the Portuguese now looks destined for a shock move to Tottenham Hotspur, which could leave the Reds in limbo. 

As I touched on in last week’s column, I wouldn’t have gone anywhere near Fernandes for the price that was touted, so in a way I can understand why the higher ups at Old Trafford have refused to match the eyewatering bid of £85m tabled by Spurs. 

That being said, our options now look extremely limited, and the recent injury to Manuel Ugarte will only make matters worse. 

The Uruguayan suffered knee ligament damage in his country’s World Cup clash with Spain, and looks set to be sidelined for several months, which now completely rules out the possibility of him being offloaded this summer. 

Ugarte’s sale could have provided vital funds for United to use elsewhere, and his stay will likely result in one less midfielder arriving at Old Trafford this summer. 

Elsewhere, with foreign interest in Marcus Rashford dwindling, the likelihood of the forward staying at United is increasing by the day. 

The club have reportedly made contact with the Carrington graduate’s camp over recent days, and with ‘amicable talks’ said to have taken place, this only points towards a sensational return.  

Though many United fans seem reluctant for Rashford to be reintegrated, I for one would be all for it. 

Not only would it save splashing £50m+ on an alternative winger, who probably wouldn’t be of the same ability, but it would also bring the 28-year-old back to the place where he belongs. 

The idea of letting one of our academy graduates go, especially one with such ability, is something that, for me, would leave a bitter taste in the mouth. 

While Rashford admittedly said some questionable things before his loan switch to Barcelona, he would undoubtedly still be an important player for United had it not been for Ruben Amorim. 

And considering he turned out to be one of the worst managers in our history, I know who I’ll be siding with on this one.