Report: Man Utd agree terms with M. Fernandes, reason West Ham won't lower price revealed! Legend suggests signing German midfielder instead

Manchester United are still confident that they will land Matheus Fernandes and are in talks with West Ham over the fee. Spurs have also been in touch with M. Fernandes, while Mourinho has urged Real Madrid to monitor the 21-year-old Portuguese. But United are the furthest along and, thanks to their Champions League spot, the player most wants to join.

"Football Insider" reports that Manchester United have reached a personal agreement with M. Fernandes, and now only need to convince West Ham to sell. West Ham are holding out for a high fee of £80-85 million, while United hope to complete the deal for £65 million plus some add-ons.

In club-level negotiations, United have tried to get West Ham to lower their price, but the latter are not as desperate to sell and raise funds as British media rumors suggest. According to some reports, West Ham have over £100 million in financial losses and need to generate £150 million from player sales before July to overcome their difficulties.

BBC's Simon Stone says West Ham have received a cash injection from their owner, so they are not as forced to cut prices and sell players as rumored. "West Ham have been relegated and must sell players, so people thought this transfer would be quite easy," Stone explained. "During negotiations over the fee, West Ham owner David Sullivan stepped back; he used to handle most transfer matters. Now Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky has taken over, and he has funds to invest. The situation has changed. But that doesn't mean M. Fernandes won't leave; I think he still will, but completing the deal will be more difficult and take longer."

In the Premier League, clubs must comply with the Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), which limit accumulated losses over three years. A club is allowed a maximum loss of £15 million over three years, but if the owner injects their own equity as safety funds, PSR grants a higher loss tolerance. Specifically, if the owner injects £90 million of their own funds, the loss limit rises from £15 million to £105 million.

Therefore, West Ham do need to sell players to improve their financial reports, but they may no longer be in a rush to do so before the June 30 fiscal year end, giving them more room to demand high transfer fees. Stars like M. Fernandes and Summerville will eventually move in the summer window, but only if buyers meet the Hammers' requirements, not for bargain deals.

Last week, Germany's Bild reported that Manchester United are considering signing Borussia Dortmund's German midfielder Felix Nmecha. The 25-year-old versatile midfielder recently scored at the World Cup and impressed fans with his crown-offering-to-Jesus celebration.

Manchester United legend Gary Neville supports signing Nmecha as a replacement for M. Fernandes. "If Nmecha keeps performing like he did that night, his price will only go up," Neville said. "There are reports that United have been quoted €100 million for West Ham's M. Fernandes, so they will look for alternatives at the tournament and across Europe. Nmecha was outstanding in his last match and seems to have everything."

Nmecha has been linked with United before and is no stranger to Manchester; the German midfielder spent 10 years in Manchester City's academy, and current United football director Jason Wilcox worked with him. That also gives Nmecha English "homegrown" status, making him a domestically trained player. Interestingly, his brother Lucas also came through City's academy and now plays for Leeds United.

In 2021, Nmecha left Manchester City after his contract expired, having made only three first-team appearances. Back in the Bundesliga, he proved himself at Wolfsburg and now plays for Dortmund. Bild reports that Nmecha's contract with Dortmund includes a release clause of €80 million (£70 million), but it won't become active until 2027; if waiting until 2028, the clause drops to €70 million.

However, if the player continues his impressive World Cup form, Dortmund's asking price for Nmecha could also reach €100 million! Of course, other sources like TEAMtalk report that United have contacted intermediaries and know that the player seems willing to return to the Premier League. Moreover, signing Nmecha this summer for €60 million (£52 million) is still a possible deal.

It must be emphasized that claims of United's interest in Nmecha have not yet been confirmed by authoritative sources like David Ornstein, Simon Stone, or Fabrizio Romano. It is generally believed that United still prefer to buy from other Premier League clubs. Transfer expert Ben Jacobs says that if West Ham insist on a price above £80 million for M. Fernandes, United's real Plan B targets are Brighton's Carlos Baleba and Fulham's Sander Berge.