Manchester United remain focused on pursuing M. Fernandes! Two conditions must be met for Tchouaméni to join, and their stance on Nmecha has been revealed.

More than a dozen midfielders are being linked with a move to Manchester United at present, yet the only one the club is genuinely pursuing is West Ham's Matheus Fernandes. This is because Tottenham are closing in, and if the Red Devils fail to act more decisively, they could miss out on the 21-year-old Portuguese talent.

The transfer scenario for M. Fernandes is straightforward: he is willing to join either Manchester United or Tottenham, and West Ham will simply sell to the highest bidder. Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano stated: "Tottenham are actively pushing for M. Fernandes as they aim to complete their signing quickly. However, Manchester United remain in contact with the player's agent and have not given up. The transfer is still undecided, and West Ham are waiting for the best offer."

Manchester United correspondent Andy Mitten commented: "Manchester United know that M. Fernandes wants to join, but West Ham want the highest possible transfer fee, and they are hoping to spark a bidding war. His agent, Jorge Mendes, is also working hard and has significant influence over the player. As far as I know, M. Fernandes would be willing to play for Tottenham, but his first choice is Manchester United. It all depends on how much United are willing to pay for him, as they don't want to be driven up in price."

However, it is inevitable that the price for M. Fernandes—and indeed for all midfielders in this summer's transfer market—will rise. This is because Manchester City have completed the transfer of 23-year-old English midfielder Elliott Anderson, with a record-breaking fee. Anderson will undergo a medical in the United States on Friday, and once passed, his transfer fee will reach £116 million, setting a new record for City's most expensive signing.

That also represents the highest transfer fee ever paid for an English player, surpassing the £105 million Arsenal paid for Declan Rice three years ago by £10 million. However, it still falls short of the £125 million Liverpool paid for Alexander Isak last summer.

Nevertheless, other clubs will use Anderson's transfer fee as a benchmark when selling their own midfielders, demanding higher prices. West Ham, for example, are asking for £85 million for M. Fernandes, a figure Manchester United are unwilling to pay.

The problem for Manchester United, however, is that most of their other midfield targets will also come with high price tags, and the difficulty of signing them is no less than that of M. Fernandes. Many Red Devils fans admire Real Madrid's defensive midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni, who fits manager Erik ten Hag's requirements perfectly and is also a favorite of owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, given his ownership of French club Nice and his affinity for French football. Yet securing Tchouaméni is no easy task.

Although "The Athletic" reports that Real Madrid might be open to receiving offers for Tchouaméni, the reality is more complex. The 26-year-old French midfielder's transfer requires two conditions to be met: first, Real Madrid must be willing to sell and Tchouaméni must be willing to leave; second, Manchester United must meet his extremely high wage demands.

Romano emphasized: "Tchouaméni's salary is extremely high, and Manchester United are currently not willing to pay it, despite their admiration for the player. Although recent rumors have intensified, the situation hasn't changed—Real Madrid have not yet decided to sell Tchouaméni."

It is understood that Tchouaméni would only consider a move if Real Madrid explicitly tell him he must leave. Mitten added: "Tchouaméni is very happy at Real Madrid, but if circumstances change, he might be open to a transfer to Manchester United."

German outlet Sky Sports also reported this week that Manchester United might turn to Borussia Dortmund to pursue German international midfielder Felix Nmecha. The 25-year-old has scored one goal and provided one assist for the German national team, attracting the attention of scouts.

Rumors linking Manchester United with Nmecha have persisted over the years. Transfer chief Christopher Vivell, who previously worked at RB Leipzig, is well-versed in German football and maintains close contact with Nmecha's agent. Dortmund only extended Nmecha's contract until 2030 in March. Therefore, it is believed that only a very high offer would make Dortmund consider selling.

Bild provided specific figures: signing Nmecha this summer would cost €120 million (£104 million), and his new contract includes a €80 million release clause, though it will not become active until the summer of 2027.

Combined with Manchester United's past experiences of buying players from Dortmund, the club has not yet taken action on Nmecha. Romano explained: "At this moment, Manchester United are only scouting and monitoring Nmecha; there are no concrete steps being taken."