Manchester United have received updates on two potential transfers after captain Bruno Fernandes waded into the conversation on one front
Manchester United’s latest makeover is gathering pace as decision-makers at Old Trafford look to improve the squad this summer. Michael Carrick is believed to be on the verge of signing Ederson, though it appears the transfer has been held up following his recent call-up to Brazil’s World Cup 2026 squad.
He’s far from the only iron they have in the fire, however, as speculation builds on numerous fronts. The World Cup is likely to cause delays while players concentrate on their international duties but that doesn’t leave United entirely helpless.
In fact, there are developments happening all around as two namesakes contribute to some of this week’s biggest stories. Mirror Football has compiled some of the major developments coming out of Old Trafford today, so you don’t have to.
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Bruno shows Rafael Leao support
United captain Bruno Fernandes has thrown his support behind reported target Rafael Leao after his recent red card controversy. AC Milan winger Leao was shown a straight red card for swiping at the face of Chile’s Ivan Roman in Portugal’s warm-up friendly ahead of the World Cup.
“Regarding my sending off, I simply wanted to protect my teammate and never intended to hurt the opponent,” wrote Leao in an Instagram update after the scuffle. “Thank you to all the Portuguese fans who were at Jamor; the atmosphere was incredible. We move forward together.”
Some skippers may be tempted to lay blame with the player for leaving his team short under pressurised conditions. However, United captain Fernandes went in the other direction with his response.
Replying to Leao’s post, the United talisman wrote simply “Together.” And that in itself appeared to summarise how the Portugal veteran is rallying behind his compatriot despite some scrutiny suggesting Leao should have shown more composure.
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Leao, 26, is widely expected to leave the San Siro following a difficult season with Milan. And the forward has already all but confirmed he’ll be heading for pastures new after conceding the style of Serie A perhaps no longer suits him.
“I need a new challenge,” he recently told Sport TV. “In Italy, the league is evolving, but for my style of football, the Premier League or La Liga would better showcase my talent and me as a player.
“If the opportunity in the Premier League were to come my way, I would be very happy: I think I would be able to match my talent with players who are at a very high level.”
Mateus Fernandes update
The other Fernandes in today’s headlines is West Ham midfielder Mateus, though his route to Old Trafford may have complicated. That’s after Florentino Perez won re-election as Real Madrid president on Sunday, which will mean Jose Mourinho is set to take over the Bernabeu once again.
As a direct result of that, it’s reported Los Blancos will target West Ham’s Fernandes for reinforcements this summer. That could spell bad news for United given the allure of Real often proves too difficult to turn down.
With Perez’s presidency intact and Mourinho on the way back, Real can now begin their summer restructure in earnest. And Perez has promised big signings will be delivered following a trophy-less campaign in Madrid.
Fernandes, 21, won’t come cheaply considering the Hammers reportedly value their star at the £80million mark. However, their relegation from the Premier League severely weakens their bargaining stance.
That presents a potential lifeline for United, who may wish to simply try and outbid their rivals for Fernandes. However, the player may wield some power in deciding where he ends up come the close of the summer transfer window.
West Ham broke the bank to sign Fernandes for a little more than £40m when they recruited him from Southampton last year. And it looks increasingly likely a number of European superpowers will aim to tempt him into another switch just 12 months later.
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