Man Utd are in talks to sign a £70m star like Fernandes

Ruben Amorim can point to the success of displacing Alejandro Garnacho and Alejandro Garnacho last summer, however the Portuguese's biggest legacy at Manchester United will be the mess he made in the club's midfield.

In the case of Kobbie Mainoo, the young Englishman did not start a single Premier League game in the first half of the season under Amorim, who looked set to leave in January or the summer. He is now in the running for the PFA Young Player of the Year award.

Mainoo fell prey to the 40's 3-4-2-1 formation, a tactical arrangement that didn't seem to benefit the aging Casemiro or Bruno Fernandes' playmaking genius.

The former has scored five goals in 15 league games under Michael Carrick, while the latter has 13 assists since returning to 4-3-3 in 2026.

Apart from the absence of Casemiro against Sunderland, and Mainoo against Leeds United, the trio have started every game under Carrick, ensuring that a fresh set-up will be needed next season.

Man Utd are in fresh talks to sign a £70m replacement for Casemiro

It could be argued that Casemiro's farewell to Old Trafford spoke to the club's declining standards, with the Brazilian handed a hero without winning the Carabao Cup and FA Cup in the last four years, failing to even make an appearance in the final.

That would have been funny, however, it was hard not to get swept up in the emotions of the time, the man who won five Champions League titles at Real Madrid seemed to love the Red Devils.

Diminishing power or not, the 34-year-old will take up a place this summer, and it remains to be seen whether the man he came up with on Sunday, Elliot Anderson, will choose United's rivals Manchester City.

Anderson is not the only target on the agenda, with the Daily Mail reporting that INEOS could look to take advantage of West Ham United's potential promotion to the Championship, amid their interest in Portugal midfielder Mateus Fernandes.

According to the report, United have raised 'fresh talks' over a potential move for the 21-year-old, with Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain also interested.

Having not been part of Portugal's World Cup squad, the ex-Southampton man could prove more accessible doors this summer, with previous reports suggesting a fee of around £70m is in the works to secure a deal.

Why Mateus Fernandes could be a combination of Bruno and Casemiro at Man Utd

Casemiro's exit at the end of the season has been confirmed, despite cries of 'another year' at the Theater of Dreams, while a succession plan is still needed regarding the good captain, Fernandes, at least considering the 31-year-old flirted with a move to Saudi last summer.

Well, by bringing his fellow youngster, Mateus Fernandes, into the fold in Manchester, United could kill two birds with one stone, getting a midfielder who works well in a variety of central midfield roles.

Indeed, the Hammers star is almost a cross between two of United's experienced stars, a ball-winning, relentless defender like £70m Casemiro, yet with the ball-playing, consistent quality of his Portuguese counterpart.

A former Sporting CP, like Bruno, the 21-year-old has enjoyed two fine seasons in the Premier League on his own, despite suffering against Southampton and now West Ham, jointly.

He has scored and assisted 12 league goals since the start of 2024/25, which is a respectable return for any prospect, especially when you consider that he is used to playing in a number eight role.

With one key pass per game on average this season, and three big chances created in total, there is something to look forward to in Fernandes' game, as evidenced by the fact that he has been hailed as “the deep Bruno Fernandes” by one prominent commentator.

His ability to spray passes from deep is certainly Bruno-esque, which recently caught the eye as the Hammers suffered a heavy defeat against Arsenal, registering two important passes, successfully completing two dribbles and winning eight duels.

While the Estoril loanee squandered a chance late on, shooting straight at David Raya, it was enough for him to be encouraged in terms of his all-round performance.

His non-playing career is very impressive, possibly more than current Casemiro, as their records this season show.

In Fernandes' case, he averaged a stellar 3.8 blocks per game, 5.1 possessions per game and 1.1 passes per game, while winning 56% of all his duels.

In comparison, United's veteran South American averages just 3.5 tackles, 4.1 recoveries and 1.5 tackles per game on average, winning just 53% of all his duels.

He's also a guy who looks more secure in possession, bettering Casemiro in both pass accuracy (88% vs 81%) and possessions lost per game (9.2 vs 10.9), which is a further indication of his sky-high potential.

His goal return needs work, but he has now improved Casemiro's assists over the past two league seasons, ensuring he can provide the former Madrid man's ball-winning ability, yet while also providing a great creative streak.

United won't be the only ones vying for his signature, of course, but the West Ham sensation could be the perfect signing to kick off the summer.