Man Utd are ready to pay £100m to sign a new midfielder

When Casemiro announced his decision to leave Manchester United at the end of his contract it left fans at Old Trafford heartbroken.

It has been an impressive season for the Brazilian who has defied doubters to become one of the Premier League’s best midfielders. He scored nine goals, a career high in one season.

Not often a prolific goalscorer, the Red Devils will need to find a way to replace his threat in both halves of the pitch. That’s easier said than done, of course, but luckily Michael Carrick and Co have moved quickly to find a replacement.

Although not yet announced by the club, all signs point to Ederson signing for Atalanta in the coming weeks. That said, United are not satisfied with one new midfielder and plan to sign another or two.

Mateus Fernandes is being watched but who else is on the club’s radar?

Man United are ready to pay a huge fee to sign a new midfielder

With Ederson’s move to the Premier League all but announced, United move on to their next big deal with Mateus Fernandes thought to be Jason Wilcox and Co.’s first target.

However, will they really find him? According to reports, the player is eager to leave and Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes has reportedly given United’s management his vote of confidence for the player.

That said, he has an asking price of £80m and they face stiff competition from Premier League champions Arsenal.

The same can be said about Sandro Tonali. The Newcastle United man could follow Anthony Gordon out the exit door this summer as the Gunners and United look set to make a move for the midfielder.

That is according to reports in Italy this weekend which suggest that Toon have hit the £100m price tag for Tonali in a bid to keep him at St James’ Park.

However, the message is that Arsenal, United and Manchester City are all ready to come to the table with an offer to match that valuation.

What could help United in their pursuit is that City are targeting Elliot Anderson and Arsenal are targeting Fernandes instead.

How does Tonali compare to Mateus Fernandes

With West Ham relegated from the Premier League, Fernandes has been one of the best midfielders in the entire division. He was a rare hope for Irons but unfortunately he couldn’t keep it in the division.

He certainly made his impact, though. Compared to U21 players in similar positions across Europe’s top seven leagues, he ranks first in match wins, defensive duels won and passes. He was also second in passing yards.

A prodigiously improving player by nature, the 21-year-old has already earned comparisons with a certain Declan Rice. This would be a great signing, right.

But, Tonali, 25, is definitely better now and could be a fantastic player in Carrick’s pitch. Hailed as “one of the best midfielders in Europe” by Newcastle journalist Joel Bland, he has proven himself in the Premier League and has been doing so in the Champions League for a few years now.

However, how does he compare to Fernandes statistically?

However, in some of the key metrics of players at their positions, they actually measure up very closely to most numbers, especially their ongoing actions.

Fernandes is often regarded as one of the best in terms of carrying the ball and not being dispossessed so to see Tonali alongside him is very impressive.

United may have already signed a duel winner in Ederson but as they look to replace Casemiro in more ways than one, Tonali ticks many boxes.

Compared to the West Ham man, he was more secure in his defensive actions, winning more duels on the ground and completing more tackles.

Fernandes will have a bright future in the game but at this point in time, Tonali is a better and more complete player. He is very proven again.