Manchester United could be at risk of losing ground to Tottenham Hotspur in the race for West Ham United midfielder Mateus Fernandes because of wages.
According to The Sun, Spurs are prepared to go big on salaries for key targets this summer, while United are trying to keep their wage structure under control.
That difference could become important in the battle for Fernandes, who is valued at around £80m by West Ham.
Man United have been working on a deal for the Portugal international for weeks, and Michael Carrick sees midfield as one of the main areas to strengthen.
Fernandes’ energy, ball-carrying and technical quality make him a good fit for the rebuild.
However, Tottenham’s aggressive approach could now complicate things.
Tottenham spending with ambition
Spurs have already shown they are ready to move boldly in the market.
They had an £80m bid rejected for Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali and have also been linked with Marcus Rashford.
Rashford’s United salary is set to rise to around £325,000-a-week next month, and reports have suggested Tottenham would be willing to meet his wage demands.
That tells you how serious Spurs are about landing proven attacking and midfield talent for Roberto De Zerbi.
Man United refusing to repeat old mistakes
United’s position is different. Chief executive Omar Berrada recently stressed that the club must be “really disciplined” and cannot allow agents or the market to dictate their decisions.
That is a sensible approach after years of expensive contracts causing problems at Old Trafford.
Fernandes is represented by Jorge Mendes’ Gestifute agency, which also works with United players Leny Yoro and Manuel Ugarte.
That relationship could help talks, but United are clearly trying to avoid overpaying.
This is a real test of United’s new transfer strategy. Fernandes would be a strong signing, but walking away from unreasonable wages may also be part of building a healthier club.
United remain interested, but Tottenham’s financial push could make this race far more difficult.