Manchester United Shift Focus to Alex Scott and Mateus Fernandes
Manchester United have walked away from the Elliot Anderson saga, and the decision says as much about their new transfer discipline as it does about the player himself.
For weeks, United stayed in the conversation around the Nottingham Forest midfielder, even as the numbers crept into uncomfortable territory. Now the line has been drawn. David Ornstein reports for The Athletic that Manchester City have seen a bid totalling £121 million rejected for Anderson — a figure that underlines just how wild this market can get.
United’s response is simple: no bidding war, no panic, no chasing a deal that makes little sense on their balance sheet.
United pivot to Alex Scott and Mateus Fernandes
Instead of matching City’s financial muscle, United have narrowed their focus. Ornstein names Alex Scott and Mateus Fernandes as the two midfielders now at the top of their list.
The attraction is obvious. Both are younger, technical, and still climbing towards their peak years. Both, crucially, are understood to want the move to Old Trafford. That already marks a contrast with Anderson, whose camp is believed to be pushing for a huge wage package.
From United’s point of view, the numbers stack up far better. Scott is reportedly valued at around £60m, with the realistic prospect of a deal being struck closer to £50m including add-ons. West Ham may be holding out for £80m for Fernandes, but their need for funds leaves room for negotiation. United believe that, combined, Scott and Fernandes could cost in the same region as Anderson alone.
Two midfielders for the price of one inflated deal. That is the kind of equation Ineos appear determined to win.
Built for Carrick’s new midfield
The football logic is just as compelling as the financial one.
Michael Carrick is planning a shift towards a midfield three, aiming to structure his side in a way that echoes the control and fluidity seen at PSG. To do that, he needs legs, technique, and intelligence in the centre of the pitch, not just big names.
Scott and Fernandes tick those boxes. Both are high-energy, technically secure, and still developing. They fit the profile of “quality, technical, hard workers” whose best years are ahead of them rather than behind.
They also offer something Anderson cannot this summer: time on the training pitch.
Neither Scott nor Fernandes is involved in the World Cup, which means they would be available from day one of pre-season. For a coach trying to reshape the way his team plays, that matters enormously. It gives Carrick a full summer to drill his ideas, build partnerships, and construct that new-look midfield three with real continuity.
Pre-season planning power shift
The timing has become even more significant after Ederson’s late call-up to the Brazil squad. His inclusion leaves Mason Mount as the only senior midfielder currently expected to start pre-season with United from the very beginning.
That is a thin base for a tactical rebuild.
Drop Scott and Fernandes into that picture, though, and the landscape changes. Suddenly, Carrick has two more first-team midfielders on the grass from the opening sessions, players he can shape and integrate without the disruption of international duty.
The message from Old Trafford is clear. They will not be dragged into eye-watering auctions, even when a domestic rival is driving the market upwards. Instead, they are betting on a pair of ambitious, hungry midfielders to reshape the core of their team.
If United land both Scott and Fernandes, this summer’s midfield story will not be about the one that got away. It will be about whether a calmer, more calculated approach can finally give Carrick the engine room he needs to push this team into a new era.
