Man Utd accelerate signing of ‘shining light’ star after Arsenal decision reached | OneFootball

Manchester United have advanced their attempts to sign a West Ham ace who will leave if the Hammers are relegated, though Arsenal could hijack the deal, according to reports.

West Ham are staring down the barrel of relegation to the Championship. If Tottenham beat Chelsea on Tuesday night, the Hammers are down. If Spurs draw, West Ham are effectively down given they’d be three points behind and 13 goals in arrears in the goal difference department.

With relegation on the cards, difficult choices will have to be made. The Guardian recently brought news of West Ham realising they must generate around £100m from transfer fees to balance the books over the summer.

The outlet also stated West Ham are ‘resigned’ to losing many of their best players, with Jarrod Bowen, Crysencio Summerville and Mateus Fernandes all named.

The latest from the Daily Mail has echoed claims West Ham must bring in around £100m from sales if they’re relegated.

That is pertinent news up at Old Trafford, with Man Utd more than interested in signing 21-year-old midfielder Fernandes.

Man Utd ‘step up’ Mateus Fernandes signing

The Portuguese international has been a rare ‘shining light’ for the beleaguered Hammers this term, and his excellent form has caught Man Utd’s eye.

Fernandes was described as a ‘priority’ target for the Red Devils beyond the widely-reported names like Carlos Baleba and Elliot Anderson.

Accordingly, and after their headline declared ‘Man Utd step up talks over West Ham star’, the report noted ‘more recent discussions’ have been held regarding the summer transfer.

Man Utd aim to make two significant signings in midfield ahead of their return to the Champions League.

Fernandes cost West Ham £40m when bought from Southampton. TEAMtalk understands he’s now valued by the Hammers at around £80m, but suffering relegation would make it incredibly difficult for the club to extract maximum value given their weakened bargaining position.

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Arsenal could hijack Man Utd move for Mateus Fernandes

The Times recently declared Arsenal admire Fernandes too, and the Mail have confirmed the Gunners are ready to spoil Man Utd’s plans.

Mikel Arteta is reportedly looking to add a more technical midfielder to his ranks, and Christian Norgaard will be the one sacrificed if Fernandes arrives at the Emirates.

Arsenal are on course to win their first Premier League title since 2004 and if they beat PSG on May 30, they’ll secure their first ever Champions League too.

Yet despite Arsenal’s impending success, Arteta is reportedly scarred by the manner of his side’s defeat to Manchester City in the League Cup final a few months ago.

Arsenal were played off the park by City and it’s that loss that has resulted in Arsenal deciding to sign a technical midfielder to ensure those types of setbacks don’t occur in the coming years.