Manchester United showed interest in Alejandro Balde and Mateus Fernandes this summer but it seems neither will end up at Old Trafford.
When Manchester United were scouring the market for midfielders, Mateus Fernandes emerged as a top target.
But Ineos were not willing to match the £85m fee for Fernandes, or the wages that Spurs were willing to pay. Fernandes’ nightmare debut for the North London side suggests United made the right decision.
In the left-back search, United were open to signing Alejandro Balde on loan from Barcelona. But a new report from Fabrizio Romano claims he is set to stay in Spain.
Jason Wilcox had concerns over Mateus Fernandes, same applies to Alejandro Balde
Speaking on YouTube, Rob Dawson explained why United sporting director Jason Wilcox saw a “red flag” in the Fernandes talks.
“They also were a little bit concerned that Fernandes never really gave them a clear indication that he was desperate to join in the way that Cunha and Mbeumo had done 12 months earlier.
“That was a little bit of a red flag to Wilcox in particular.”
Last summer, Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko made it clear they were desperate to join United, even rejecting Champions League clubs to make their move to Old Trafford.
United clearly want that same level of desire from all signings, but it never came from Fernandes. Instead, he was happy to sit back and let a bidding war commence. A bidding war that United smartly walked away from.
Alejandro Balde also hesitated over Man United move
The same concerns that Wilcox had about Fernandes also apply to Balde.
Multiple reports claimed that Balde preferred to stay at Barcelona despite the transfer interest from United.
United need players fully committed to the long-term project at Old Trafford, and clearly that was a second choice for Balde this summer.
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Instead of pushing forward with these deals anyway, United walked away and have prioritised bringing players to Old Trafford who are desperate to represent the Red Devils.
Like the £65m Carlos Baleba deal, for example, with the 22-year-old describing his move as a “dream”.
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/pVY1m8K