Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has claimed that the Red Devils should sign a World Cup star over West Ham United's Mateus Fernandes, despite links heating up.
Manchester United are set for a busy summer transfer window before the beginning of Michael Carrick's first full season in charge of his former side, which will also see the Red Devils return to the Champions League for the first time since 2023/24.
The focus of the summer will be rebuilding the midfield after Casemiro left the club on a free transfer to join Lionel Messi's Inter Miami. Manuel Ugarte also looks set to leave Old Trafford, forcing United to sign two midfielders, although that number could become three if United want strength in depth for the Champions League run.
Atalanta's Éderson looks to be the first new addition of Michael Carrick's tenure after the Brazilian confirmed that the transfer was already complete while on World Cup duty for Brazil.
Mateus Fernandes could soon follow Éderson. Roundtable previously reported that club-to-club talks had begun between United and West Ham regarding Fernandes, while personal terms also seem to have been agreed.
However, club legend Gary Neville has now claimed that United could be better off with Germany midfielder Felix Nmecha.
Neville favours Nmecha signing
On Saturday, Germany faced Ivory Coast in their second group-stage match of the competition, winning 2-1. And one man to impress fans and pundits alike was Felix Nmecha.
Nmecha plays his club football for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, but came through the Manchester City academy, likely crossing paths with Jason Wilcox, now United's Director of Football.
"The more he plays like he did the other night, the more expensive he’ll get," Neville said on Nmecha while on ITV Sport.
"But at the moment, we hear Manchester United are being quoted £100 million for the West Ham boy Fernandes, so they’re going to have to be looking around this tournament and parts of Europe.
"He [Nmecha] looked outstanding the other night, it looked like he had absolutely everything."
Former Arsenal forward Ian Wright was also impressed by Nmecha's performance for Julian Nagelsmann's Germany side.
"When you look at him he breaks lines, he gets into the box, he’s got Kimmich to come in and fill in for him.
"He can play as a No.8 or No.10, we can see he can finish, you can see why teams are interested in him. He’s got everything."
Fernandes or Nmecha?
United have previously been linked to Nmecha for a fee of close to £60 million, which could be £20 million less than what they could pay for Mateus Fernandes.
However, Nmecha would likely play a second-fiddle role to Kobbie Mainoo, and after starting for Germany, he would be foolish to settle for that.
As for Fernandes, he too could be asked to play a backup role, but off the back of two relegations and missing out on the Portugal squad, he would not be in the same position to complain.
Also, Fernandes has experience as a defensive midfielder, box-to-box player, and as a No.10, which could help him get more game time at Old Trafford. And Michael Carrick has already shown he is not afraid to make big calls regarding personnel.
With so much of the grown work already laid, moving away from Fernandes would be an odd decision on United's behalf. That is not to say they couldn't, or even sign both Fernandes and Nmecha, but the Portuguese midfielder is definitely ahead of the German international.
