With the recent £116 million sale of Elliot Anderson to Manchester City, the market as a whole will likely inflate the price of any midfielder United look to make a bid for.
Alex Scott
Bournemouth’s 22-year-old English midfielder Alex Scott is valued at less than the £80 million required for West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes, and is a realistic midfield signing option if United decide to walk away from Fernandes and his price tag.
Scott is being monitored by multiple clubs after a standout 2025-26 campaign in which
he showcased his technical agility, ball progression and work rate on the defensive side. His ability to constantly press would make a massive difference in Michael Carrick’s counter-attack system. In his 34 starts for the Cherries last season, Scott completed 85% of his passes, made 28 successful tackles, created 21 chances and forced 57 fouls.
Scott’s contract expires in 2028, and he has yet to agree to a contract extension. Both Arsenal and Chelsea have joined the race for the English midfielder while Scott continues climbing up United’s midfield shortlist. In response to the interest, Bournemouth is pushing for a new deal that would include a £75 million release clause, which wouldn’t appeal to these three clubs given that his current contract only has two years left on it.
Bournemouth is not keen to let Scott walk, and would likely be asking for over £60 million to even consider a deal.
Felix Nmecha
Recently, another alternative emerged in Borussia Dortmund midfielder Felix Nmecha. The 25-year-old currently owns a starting spot in Germany’s World Cup squad. Unfortunately for United, Borussia Dortmund tagged him with a price of €100 million.
Nmecha reportedly has a long-term goal of returning to the Premier League, but his recent contract extension until 2030 and €80 million release clause that remains inactive until the summer of 2027 give Dortmund all the negotiating leverage.
TEAMtalk reports that Chelsea and United lead the race, but with the Blues’ recent push for Sunderland midfielder Granit Xhaka, the Red Devils could capitalize. Reports from TEAMtalk also claim that the hefty price tag could be negotiated lower for a suitable Premier League club.
Nmecha is a perfect alternative to Anderson, maybe even better than Fernandes. His box-to-box traits see him produce in the final third and conduct and carry play through the midfield. On the defensive side of the ball, his physicality and relentlessness would give United some ball-winning leverage. His combination of a massive 6-foot-3 physical frame and resistant carrying ability in a double-pivot would step right into United’s midfield and help dictate the tempo of the game.
Casemiro possessed similar traits, which would make Nmecha an ideal replacement. Fernandes’ profile is similar to that of Kobbie Mainoo, and not as similar to the defensive-minded midfielder United currently lack.
His stock will continue to fluctuate based on his performance in the World Cup for Germany, and clubs will likely hold bids until the end of the tournament. So far, Nmecha has propelled Germany through the group stage, providing a goal in Germany’s 7-1 win over Curaçao and a crucial assist to Denis Undav in Germany’s 2-1 comeback win over Ivory Coast. If he keeps on producing on the biggest stage, Dortmund’s asking price could continue to skyrocket out of United’s range.
Nmecha’s links to United also come from the fact that Omar Berrada, United’s current CEO, spent time on Manchester City’s executive board while Nmecha played for their academy up until 2021.
United’s director of recruitment, Christopher Vivell, has also spent much of his career working in the Bundesliga and around German football. Vivelle maintains close contact with Nmecha’s representatives, as per Sky Germany. With all of these factors in play, United have a clear viewpoint on Nmecha’s player profile, work ethic and potential to become a real difference-maker in Manchester.
