Manchester United's plans to revamp their midfield have hit a roadblock. The Red Devils faced disappointment when they were priced out of moves for Elliot Anderson and Sandro Tonali.

What happened?

INEOS moved quickly to sign Mateus Fernandes, but West Ham's valuation proved to be a difficult obstacle to overcome. Tottenham Hotspur then entered the race, and currently, Spurs look more likely to hijack the deal.

Midfield transfer woes

Alex Scott and Ayyoub Bouaddi are among the alternatives being monitored. Even if United bring in someone alongside Ederson, Michael Carrick was always in favor of bringing in three midfielders. Manuel Ugarte's injury has put paid to those hopes.

Tyler Fletcher steps up

According to The Manchester Evening News, Tyler Fletcher looks the likeliest candidate to be afforded the chance to step up and claim a regular first-team place. If United do sign Fernandes, they would have Kobbie Mainoo, Ederson, and Fernandes as midfield options next season, while Mason Mount could also fill in in a deeper role.

| Category | Stat | | --- | --- | | League standing | 3rd in Premier League, 71 pts, 20W-11D-7L from 38 games | | Recent form | 4W-1D-0L (WWWWD, most recent first) | | Next fixture | vs AC Milan (at home, 2026-08-15) | Tyler Fletcher will need to impress in pre-season, especially with Dan Gore, Jacob Devaney, and Jim Thwaites among the midfield wonderkids also vying to catch Carrick's eye. The Red Devils are on a 4-game winning run, with their last result being a 3-0 win over Brighton on 2026-05-24. With multiple areas of the squad in need of reinforcements, the 20-time English league champions are seriously considering promoting from within to plug that gap in the squad.