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Jamie Carragher believes Manchester United would’ve been better off biting the bullet and shelling out Mateus Fernandes’ transfer fee this summer.
Instead, Tottenham Hotspur agreed to pay West Ham’s £85 million valuation before signing the youngster on a five-year deal.
Mateus Fernandes and United: What happened in the transfer window?
Fernandes himself was said to be open to a move to Old Trafford, but left his fate up to the Irons, who were keen to secure as high a fee as possible from his departure.
Rather than match Spurs’ offer, United withdrew their interest and turned their attention elsewhere.
Mateus Fernandes reveals why he chose to join Spurs over Man United this summer 👀 pic.twitter.com/LToPpcPok8
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 12, 2026
They went on to sign Andrey Santos from Chelsea and Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa for the amount it would’ve taken to sign Fernandes, with fans at the time pleased that two midfielders with Premier League experience were added to Michael Carrick’s ranks for under £100m.
In the dying embers of the window, INEOS reignited their pursuit of Carlos Baleba, having initially failed in 2025, and facilitated his arrival after finalising a £70m package.
Yet, Carragher reckons Fernandes would’ve complemented United’s midfield much more than any of the trio they brought in.
What Carragher had to say about Fernandes
“He was the one I think Manchester United should have just gone for. I know they brought three in. They should have just brought two, and he was one of them,” said the former defender on The Overlap Fan Debate.
“He was young, with plenty of time to improve. He looked class for West Ham last season, and that was the first time I’ve seen him in a Tottenham shirt really look the part. I think he’s a player.”
So far this campaign, the 22-year-old has featured in all eight league games for Spurs, four of which were as a starter.
He oversaw a particularly stellar display last time out against Chelsea, having contributed an assist in Tottenham’s shock 2-0 triumph at Stamford Bridge.