Man Utd insider rates chances of INEOS signing Wharton, Scott, Tchouameni, Baleba and two more
After Manchester United missed out on Elliot Anderson, Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali, a reporter specialising in covering the Red Devils has run the rule on six more midfield targets.
A blockbuster summer window was anticipated at Man Utd after the club qualified for the Champions League. The Red Devils hoped to sign three midfielders, a left winger, and potentially a left-sided defender pending the cost of other, more prioritised moves.
But while Man Utd moved quickly and decisively to bank Ederson, the club’s attempts to make further additions in midfield have ground to a halt.
Man Utd baulked at the £116m fee it would have taken to sign Anderson – who was the top target of INEOS – from Nottingham Forest. Manchester City showed no such hesitation.
It was a similar story with Mateus Fernandes, with Man Utd unwilling to meet West Ham’s £85m asking price through fully guaranteed payments.
Tottenham weren’t so shy and on Thursday, broke their transfer record when announcing the Portuguese’s arrival.
That transfer record in north London is about to fall again, with Sandro Tonali set to sign for £100m (£92.5m plus £7.5m in add-ons).
It leaves Man Utd looking at plans D, E, F and beyond, and the latest from the Daily Mail’s Chris Wheeler has shed light on not only who is being looked at, but whether any of the moves United are weighing up are realistic.
Six Man Utd midfield transfer targets named
Wheeler – who specialises in covering the Red Devils, named Aurelien Tchouameni, Carlos Baleba, Adam Wharton, Felix Nmecha, Tyler Adams and Alex Scott as being on Man Utd’s radar.
Of those six players, it was suggested an attempt to sign Bournemouth’s Scott is most probably up next.
However, Man Utd fans shouldn’t get too excited, with Wheeler claiming the Cherries have no intention of selling.
The reporter explained: ‘Bournemouth’s Alex Scott is known to be admired at Old Trafford and could well be the player that United turn to first, although insiders say that it’s too early to say as the club re-assess the situation in light of the Fernandes setback.
‘Arsenal would appear to be United’s main rivals for Scott, but City, Chelsea and Tottenham – again – have also shown an interest.
‘Bournemouth insist the 22-year-old is not for sale and want to improve his current contract which runs until 2028. Although it was thought that Scott would cost in the region of £60m, Bournemouth are likely to demand even more now, based on the fees agreed for Anderson and Fernandes.’
On the others, Wheeler suggested a deal for Tchouameni will meet familiar financial difficulties, while the club’s interest in Baleba and Wharton isn’t as strong as it once was.
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He added: ‘Aurelien Tchouameni is another midfielder high on United’s list but there is no guarantee the Frenchman will leave Real Madrid following Jose Mourinho’s return to the Bernabeu as coach, and transfer fee and wages could be a stumbling block again.
‘There will be other names in the mix such as Scott’s Bournemouth team-mate Tyler Adams and Felix Nmecha of Borussia Dortmund, but United’s interest in Sandro Tonali is said to have cooled before Tottenham accelerated a deal for the Italian worth £100m. Carlos Baleba and Adam Wharton have not featured prominently in discussions so far this summer.
‘Some United fans who were unconvinced over the Ederson signing have raised more concerns over the club’s failure to get the Fernandes deal over the line, while others have backed the decision to stand firm.’
