The £80m star is now keen to sign for Man Utd

The season is over and quiet and for Manchester United, they can look back on how things turned out.

It hasn’t always been that way for the Red Devils but with new coach Michael Carrick in charge, the big days are on the horizon.

Bruno Fernandes has been awarded the Premier League Player of the Season, United have had Champions League football again and they could be on the verge of signing a few new players if reports are to be believed.

That happened in the central department with Carrick wanting a few additions with Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte leaving.

The latest in Man United’s midfield hunt

All the talk in recent days has revolved around Brazilian midfielder Ederson. It was reported a few weeks ago that the Atalanta star has already agreed personal terms over a move to Old Trafford, and it appears that the foundation was crucial in sealing the deal.

The latest on this is that club-to-club talks are continuing between United and the Serie A side, with talks being described as ‘good’.

It sounds like this move is for a striker but Carrick and Co need a second midfielder. Loose reports in Italy on Saturday said they were close to a deal for Sandro Tonali, but that one feels a little off at this point.

So where could Jason Wilcox look next? Well, West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes is a player on the club’s radar and like Ederson, he was looking for a way out of his current club.

The Hammers look set to be relegated on Sunday afternoon, a factor that could speed up any potential move for Fernandes. United want him and have a £80m price tag, meaning he won’t come cheap if he’s still in east London.

That said, they have been boosted by the midfielder’s fluctuating moods. According to a report from RoundTable, Fernandes sees United as a ‘walking dream’.

It is worth noting that he is very open to a move to Old Trafford and that personal goals are not expected to be an issue.

How does Fernandes compare to Ederson

The general consensus this summer is that United will sign one cheap midfielder in the form of Ederson and then head for a more expensive option in the likes of Fernandes or their number one target, Elliot Anderson.

In Ederson’s case, they will be getting a proven product, someone described as “the most powerful midfielder in the world” by Italian content creator Damiano Coccia.

He has a great toolset, ranking in the top 13% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues this season for ground balls won per 90 minutes. He is a forward-thinking player as well, sitting in the top 14% of midfielders with a forward play per 90 at 1.57.

However, there is a sense that the 26-year-old has reached his peak.

Fernandes, however, is a player with a high ceiling. He already dominates the Premier League, boasts significant English football experience, and his potential is immense.

This is a player with an all-around game that matches the greatest midfielder in the league right now; Declan Rice.

They are described as ‘floor eaters’, players who get the ball very well and can handle it, the two best players in the Premier League during the 2025/26 campaign in that regard are Rice and Fernandes.

No other player has a higher average carry distance to gain per carry. For those wondering what in the world that means, it is defined as how much a player gains from running the ball before losing the ball.

This season, Ederson made only 0.64 successful dribbles 90 to Fernandes’ 0.86, which is a statistic that supports the previous statement.

The above can also be confirmed by ball detection. In this regard, the West Ham star scored 6.42 out of 90 in this group compared to the Brazilian’s 5.92.

On the face of it, Ederson looks like a better replacement for Casemiro. He is a great duel winner, winning 2.29 ground duels out of 90 to Fernandes’ 1.55. However, the Irons star would give Carrick a completely different dynamic from the middle of the park, someone with more power and carrying ability than Casemiro ever had at Old Trafford.

Pairing them with very different players is what makes them such an interesting proposition. In fact, Ederson and Fernandes could both join, but with Rice’s comparison undoubtedly boosting the latter’s profile, you only need to look at what the England international is doing at the Emirates Stadium to see what a player of his caliber can do for a title-chasing side.

Hailed as a “star” by football writer Joost van der Leij, Fernandes will be an incredible player, someone who at just 21 years of age could be seen in the middle of United’s park for the next decade. Ederson is a floor lifter but the West Ham midfielder is a roof lifter.