Manchester United are seriously pursuing a deal to sign Mateus Fernandes from West Ham United this summer.

Fernandes has attracted interest from Arsenal, Tottenham, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, but United are said to be leading the race for the Portuguese midfielder.

Personal terms are not expected to be an issue as Fernandes is keen on a move to Old Trafford. However, negotiations with West Ham will be challenging, with the Hammers demanding a fee in the region of £80 million for the former Southampton midfielder.

United are focused on revamping their midfield this summer, and have already agreed a deal to sign Ederson from Atalanta. United have also explored moves for Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali and Aurélien Tchouaméni, but none of those moves currently appear likely for a variety of reasons.

Fernandes would likely be the big-money midfield signing, while United are also in the market for a third midfielder should Manuel Ugarte leave, with Fulham's Sander Berge said to be on their shortlist.

One of Fernandes' biggest strengths is his passing range. Casemiro's ability to progress the ball forward from deep areas through his passing was extremely important for United, and Fernandes could replicate that.

Fernandes is capable of switching the play to find a teammate in space and is also capable of playing quick vertical passes to find forwards on the counter-attack. He can dictate the tempo of games, knowing when to slow things down and when to speed things up.

Fernandes is also very good under pressure. He is therefore very capable of receiving the ball from a goalkeeper or centre-backs against a high press in build-up, and he is also very good in small spaces.

There are questions about how Fernandes would complement Kobbie Mainoo. On the ball, they are both excellent players, but off the ball, they could be vulnerable.

Fernandes is fairly good out of possession. He has a good engine, excels in ground duels, and he is a fairly decent ball-winner. However, in games where United have less of the ball, Michael Carrick will likely opt to play Ederson to add more defensive stability and duel power in the middle of the park.

Another concern would be the fact that neither Mainoo nor Fernandes are particularly dominant in the air. Carrick could potentially compensate for this by having two aerially dominant centre-backs behind them. However, if Lisandro Martinez is going to be a regular starter next season, United would certainly lack duel power in the air.

With Casemiro leaving, United are losing a dominant aerial presence, and they must sign a midfielder who can replace that.

Various reports have claimed that Carrick is trying to emulate Paris Saint-Germain's midfield set-up. The United head coach has previously openly spoken about his admiration for Luis Enrique's side.

Luis Enrique deploys a very fluid system in which positional rotations constantly take place. Vitinha tends to be the deepest player and dictates play. However, Joao Neves, Warren Zaïre-Emery and Fabian Ruiz are all also capable of playing in deeper areas to allow Vitinha to get forward. 

In Neves, Enrique also has an extremely mobile No. 8 who is constantly getting up and down the pitch. He can play on the last line in possession, but is fast and mobile enough to get back quickly to help defend counter-attacks.

United have already agreed a deal to sign Ederson, and while Neves is far better on the ball, Ederson gives Carrick a midfielder who can cover a lot of ground and contest a high number of duels.

Ederson will likely not start every game, but a midfield duo of Fernandes and Mainoo would give Carrick two players comfortable in all phases of play, allowing for constant rotations, particularly in the final third when United pin opposition teams back. Bruno Fernandes is also very capable of dropping into deeper areas and getting the ball forward quickly through impressive vertical passes.

It's also common to see the Paris Saint-Germain's front three drop into the midfield, which then creates space in the attack for the midfielders to move into. Everyone knows that Bruno Fernandes is a serious goal threat, and Kobbie Mainoo has shown on many occasions that his finishing in the left-half space from in and around the penalty box is excellent. Mateus Fernandes hasn't proven himself to be as prolific in front of goal, which strengthens the argument that he should be the deepest midfielder in that midfield trio.

United also have the forwards who can facilitate these kinds of rotations. Matheus Cunha is very comfortable dropping into midfield, given he has played as a false nine regularly throughout his career. Benjamin Sesko is best playing on the last line. However, he can certainly link play to a good level, having developed that part of his game at RB Leipzig. Amad also has the technical ability to reliably drop into midfield.

If Carrick is indeed using Paris Saint-Germain's midfield as a template for what he wants at United, it would explain why most of the midfielders United have been linked to are all-action no.8s, as opposed to no.6s who sit deep and hold their position. All-action no.8 allows for fluidity, which makes it harder for opponents to defend.