Manchester United have missed on Mateus Fernandes and, bluntly, that matters. A club talking about a midfield rebuild under Michael Carrick cannot keep treating every setback as a minor detour. According to Give Me Sport, Fernandes is heading elsewhere, with the report stating that he will be “remaining in London for the new season after agreeing a transfer to Tottenham”.
That leaves United back where they have often been in recent years, revisiting old lists, revisiting old targets and revisiting old questions about value. The obvious one is Carlos Baleba. The report says “Manchester United have Carlos Baleba on their list when it comes to signing a new midfielder” and that is no surprise. He was admired before, he is admired now, and Brighton know exactly how to monetise admiration.
Carlos Baleba Back On Manchester United Radar
United “did approach the Seagulls for the 22-year-old last summer, only to be put off by their £100m price tag”. That number tells you everything. Brighton saw demand, saw upside and priced accordingly. It also underlines the problem for United. If the player is still viewed internally as the “new Casemiro”, then hesitation comes with a cost. Once a club decide a midfielder can anchor the side for years, the fee rarely gets smaller.
There is another important detail in the report, “offers under £70m are unlikely to be considered”, with the further claim that Baleba “only wants United”. Useful, if true. Helpful, certainly. Decisive, not remotely. Brighton have no reason to rush and no reason to discount heavily, especially after Baleba “still went on to feature regularly for Fabio Hurzeler’s team last term”.
Alex Scott Emerges After Mateus Fernandes Miss
If Baleba looks expensive, Alex Scott does too. United are “set to explore a move for Bournemouth star Alex Scott after seeing Fernandes opt for a £85m switch to Tottenham”. Again, the market is clear. Bournemouth value him at around £80m, and they…
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