Manchester United Shift Focus to Scott and Fernandes Amid Anderson Bid

Manchester United have quietly stepped out of one of this summer’s most eye-watering transfer battles – and walked straight into a far more logical one.

The club’s interest in Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson had lingered in the background for weeks, but the picture changed the moment Manchester City’s latest offer hit the headlines. David Ornstein reported for The Athletic that City saw a bid totalling £121 million rejected for the 21-year-old – a fee that underlines just how wild this particular market has become.

United’s response has been blunt: no bidding war, no escalation, no chase.

Instead, the club have sharpened their focus on two alternative targets: Alex Scott and Mateus Fernandes.

United refuse to join £121m madness

From Old Trafford’s perspective, £121m for Anderson is not just steep. It is untenable. The player is highly rated, but that number belongs in the realm of elite, proven game-changers, not emerging midfielders still carving out their place in the Premier League.

United, according to Ornstein, have made it clear they will not be dragged into a financial arm wrestle with City or anyone else over Anderson. The sense inside the club is that there are smarter ways to rebuild a midfield than by anchoring it to a single, inflated deal.

That stance becomes easier to understand when the alternatives are laid out.

Scott and Fernandes move to the front of the queue

Alex Scott and Mateus Fernandes have now emerged as the two primary midfield priorities.

Scott, valued at around £60m, is thought to be attainable for closer to £50m with add-ons. Fernandes, on West Ham’s books, has been tagged at £80m by his club, but there is a belief that the London side’s need to raise funds will drag that number down to something more realistic.

The arithmetic is striking. United could, in theory, sign both Scott and Fernandes for a combined outlay similar to, or even below, what City are already testing the water with for Anderson alone.

There is another crucial factor: desire. Both Scott and Fernandes are understood to be keen on a move to Old Trafford. Anderson, by contrast, is believed to be seeking a salary at the very top end of the scale, a demand that complicates any pursuit even before transfer fees are discussed.

Built for Carrick’s new midfield

All of this feeds directly into Michael Carrick’s tactical blueprint.

The United manager is planning a shift towards a midfield three, aiming for a structure that echoes the control and fluidity seen at PSG. That approach demands technicians who can graft, press, and play – and who still have room to grow into their peak years.

Scott and Fernandes fit that brief. Both are viewed as hard-working, technically clean midfielders with the legs and intelligence to operate in a modern three-man unit. They are not short-term patches; they are pieces for a longer project.

There is also a practical bonus that will appeal to Carrick as much as any scouting report.

Pre-season advantage

Neither Scott nor Fernandes is involved in the World Cup, which means they would be available from the very start of pre-season if deals are completed in time. That matters.

United’s midfield planning has already been complicated by Ederson’s late call-up to the Brazil squad, leaving Mason Mount as the only senior midfielder currently guaranteed to report for pre-season from day one. For a coach trying to bed in a new system, every lost session hurts.

Drop Scott and Fernandes into that picture and the dynamic changes. Carrick would have two new core midfield options on the grass early, learning combinations, patterns and pressing triggers long before the competitive games begin.

It is not as dramatic as a nine-figure tug-of-war with City. It might be far more important.

United have chosen not to chase the noise around Anderson. Instead, they are pushing towards a double move that could reshape their midfield in one window. If they get Scott and Fernandes through the door in time for pre-season, the real question becomes not what they walked away from – but how quickly this rebuilt engine room can start driving the club forward.