of manchester united is interested in West Ham Midfielder Mateus Fernandes is already well established in the Portuguese media, and the Red Devils may now have another major rival to worry about: liverpool.
In recent months, reports in Portugal have repeatedly linked the 21-year-old with a move to Old Trafford. Manchester City have also been credited with interest.
He was one of the few bright spots in a difficult season for the Hammers. He established himself as a regular starter.
But now West Ham face a very different challenge. Of course the club are expected to consider a major sale as they prepare for life in the second tier.
Fernandes is widely seen as one of their most valuable assets. According to the Portuguese press, the possibility of a departure is increasing – on the contrary What was reported in previous months.
enter liverpool pictures
comes from the latest update to ball. He claims Liverpool have now joined Manchester United in the race for the midfielder.
According to the newspaper, both Liverpool and Manchester United have been keeping a close eye on Fernandes for almost two years.
United are looking a little ahead at this stage. The report claims that Michael Carrick wants substantial changes to the midfield and sees Fernandes as one of the players capable of helping reshape that area of the team.
Both Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte have been linked with an exit. United have reportedly already secured a deal for Atalanta's Ederson. But Fernandes has been presented as a more serious target.
However, Liverpool are very attentive to the situation and could move if United fail to progress.
The report also recalled the player's praise at Anfield. Liverpool legend Jan Molby previously described Fernandes "An extraordinary footballer who has everything."
However, as of now, A Bola has insisted that there has been no formal contact between the clubs and West Ham.
West Ham tell their price
The biggest hurdle may be valuation. West Ham are keen to cash in on Fernandes as they look to balance the books after demotion, but have no intention of selling him on the cheap.
According to A Bola, the London club want a fee of around £68.3m (€80m). This figure is much higher than the current valuation of Manchester United. The newspaper claims the Old Trafford side do not want to go any further than around £47m (€55m).
It is unclear whether Liverpool would be willing to come close to West Ham's demands.
Keep in mind that Sporting sold him to Southampton in 2024 for around £12.8m (€15m) plus potential bonuses. After Southampton were relegated, West Ham paid around £37.6m (€44m) to sign him.
So a sale of close to £68.3 million (€80 million) would represent a significant profit in just over a year.
Sporting awaits another windfall
A second report from A Bola highlights another club with a financial interest in the result.
Sporting is entitled to money through FIFA's solidarity mechanism thanks to Fernandes, who spent eight years in the Lisbon club's academy.
The newspaper calculated that a transfer worth around £75.1m (€88m) would generate around £2.6m (€3.08m) for Sporting.
The Portuguese club has already benefited from the sale of Southampton to West Ham. When Fernandes first moved he received around £3.6m (€4.25m) through terms.
At the moment, Manchester United are heavily linked, Manchester City lurks in the background and Liverpool has joined the conversation.
The big question may be whether any of them are prepared to meet West Ham's asking price as the club look for funds ahead of their Championship campaign.
