Manchester United has made contact with M. Fernandes, who is keen on the move and has a reasonable weekly wage demand! West Ham has raised their asking price to £85 million.

Italian transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano reports that Manchester United has contacted the agent of Matheus Fernandes—the camp of Portuguese super-agent Jorge Mendes—in the last two days to explore a possible move, gathering information on the transfer fee and wage demands. Securing M. Fernandes is difficult, primarily due to West Ham's increased valuation compared to earlier negotiations.

Romano explained: "As I understand it, West Ham has communicated the price tag for M. Fernandes to his agent team in a meeting: £85 million. Manchester United has contacted the player's side, and more clubs are monitoring the situation and are interested in signing him."

According to Romano, Manchester United's interest in signing M. Fernandes is active. They contacted his agent within the last 48 hours to discuss transfer fees and salary details. West Ham is demanding a transfer fee of £85 million. United remain very interested and, after finalizing the signing of Ederson, would like M. Fernandes to be the next midfield addition. However, several other clubs—including possibly Real Madrid—are also showing interest.

On the personal side, M. Fernandes was not included in Portugal's 26-man World Cup squad, so he has plenty of time this summer to handle a transfer. Moreover, his weekly wage at West Ham is £70,000, and after relegation to the Championship, contractual terms automatically reduce his salary by 50%. As a result, for Manchester United, his wage level aligns with owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe's desire to control player salaries.

More importantly, M. Fernandes is determined to play for Manchester United, which is the type of player the club has been looking to recruit recently. The 21-year-old Portuguese talent has openly expressed his wish to play alongside his idol, Bruno Fernandes. Back in 2017, he contacted B. Fernandes via social media and took a photo with him. M. Fernandes is eager to join a young, energetic Red Devils squad and looks forward to competing in the Champions League.

Manchester United also holds M. Fernandes in high regard. Football director Jason Wilcox, when serving as football operations director at Southampton, signed him from Sporting CP for a fee between £12 million and £15 million. Newly confirmed head coach Carrick also recognizes M. Fernandes' abilities and would welcome his arrival. However, the transfer fee will be a key factor in the upcoming negotiations.

Separate reports indicate that Manchester United has also contacted West Ham to begin negotiations for M. Fernandes' transfer. However, due to the departure of West Ham chairman David Sullivan, the club is currently in a state of internal turmoil, which could delay the process. United will make it clear that they will not pay more than £80 million for the transfer. At the same time, the club wants to avoid a protracted saga that turns into a "circus." However, given the gap between the two sides' valuations, this may already be unavoidable.

Romano asserts that M. Fernandes will definitely leave West Ham this summer. The only question now is which club he will join, with Manchester United well positioned to win the race. External predictions suggest that M. Fernandes' final transfer fee could be around £60 million.

Former Manchester United and West Ham scout Mike Brown analyzed: "It will be very difficult for West Ham to keep M. Fernandes. As the transfer window progresses, because M. Fernandes wants to leave, his price will certainly drop. West Ham set a high price, but the problem is it's hard to maintain that price when the player doesn't want to play in the Championship and many top clubs are interested. So, if he really wants to go, the price will fall, and clubs like Manchester United will seize the opportunity."

However, sources reveal that reports of Manchester United's interest in West Ham left-back El Hadji Diouf are not true. Meanwhile, the Red Devils have also not shown any intention to sign Dutch international Crysencio Summerville at this stage. Aston Villa, Tottenham, as well as Italian clubs AC Milan and Roma, are currently among his potential suitors.