Mateus Fernandes will be better than Elliot Anderson, says ex-United coach | OneFootball

Manchester United have been urged to sign Mateus Fernandes as the West Ham United maestro has a higher ceiling than the club’s other targets in midfield.

Rebuilding the Midfield

The Red Devils are prioritising an overhaul in the middle of the pitch this summer as Casemiro is set to play his final game this weekend. INEOS have decided against triggering a one-year extension in the Brazilian’s contract, while his South American successor, Manuel Ugarte, has proven incapable of ascending to the throne as the team’s anchor in midfield.

Two big-money signings are expected to replace Casemiro, while a third could arrive if a buyer can be found for Ugarte. Turkish champions Galatasaray have been strongly linked.

The leading target is Nottingham Forest talisman Elliot Anderson, who impressed with two assists in yesterday’s clash with the Tricky Trees. But competition will prove fierce for the 23-year-old England international, with Manchester City understood to be leading the race for his signature.

Crystal Palace playmaker Adam Wharton is another name high on the radar, while last summer’s pursuit of Brighton & Hove Albion enforcer Carlos Baleba is expected to be revisited. Sandro Tonali was also considered, though Newcastle United’s exorbitant asking price has deterred the Italian’s suitors.

This has led to Fernandes, West Ham United’s 21-year-old box-to-box dynamo, emerging as an alternative, with the Hammers’ expected relegation giving hope of a cut-price deal being struck. Initial demands of around £85 million will drop closer to £60m if Nuno Espírito Santo’s side finish in the bottom three.

And United’s former coach, Neil Harris, believes this could prove a blessing in disguise as Fernandes has the potential to become an even better midfielder than Anderson or Tonali – even drawing a comparison to Paris Saint-Germain superstar, Vitinha.

“When I look at him, I see Vitinha”

Harris, who worked at Old Trafford for 21 years in the academy, is adamant it is right that Fernandes is “on the radar” this summer as a target because he is already operating at a “very, very high level.” Speaking to The Breakdown (as relayed by TEAMtalk), the 48-year-old showered the youngster with praise.

“I love him. If you didn’t know his age, you’d be thinking that’s a mature player. He’s the kind of player who doesn’t immediately come to the eye if you’re not watching the game, but when you watch him in detail, I think some of the things he does is very, very high level.

“I love the players who do the simple things to a high level, and he does all of them. Whether it’s receiving the ball in tight areas, no-touch turns, screens, getting his body in, and engaging contact. For a player so young at 21 years, really exciting player.”

Hailing from south Portugal, Fernandes reminds Harris of his compatriots, Bernardo Silva and Vitinha, two of the finest midfielders in world football at present.

“He’s a bit of a Bernardo Silva, isn’t he. When he first came to City, he was a particular type of player…and that is the kind of player that becomes very attractive for a sporting director.

“You look at PSG [midfield of Vitinha and Joao Neves], and that is their model: players who can receive the ball in tight areas and can play anywhere. That type of player is becoming so attractive to coaches because of that versatility”.

Harris concludes that the former Sporting CP star, who was sold to Southampton despite being highly rated by Ruben Amorim, has got potential which neither Anderson nor Wharton can match: “I think he’s got levels that maybe Anderson and Wharton haven’t got to go. When I look at him, I see Vitinha. I see him being a conductor in games with his tempo and things like that.”

Final Thoughts

Vitinha is the gold standard for midfielders, with the 26-year-old maestro on the verge of delivering back-to-back Champions Leagues for PSG. Any comparison to such a player is the biggest compliment that a footballer can be afforded.

United must move heaven and earth to secure Fernandes’ signature this summer as there will not be a better talent available on the market at his price range should West Ham United be relegated. While Anderson is a similarly impressive operator, he will cost nearly double; Wharton is a joy to watch in possession, but lacks the dynamism Fernandes pairs with his technique.

Put simply, there must be two Fernandes‘s plying their trade at Old Trafford next season.

Featured image Michael Regan via Getty Images

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