Manchester United open transfer talks for M. Fernandes! West Ham must sell but won't lower the price, and Ratcliffe aims to sell one player to raise funds.

According to The Athletic, after securing their first signing Ederson, Manchester United have begun talks with West Ham United over the signing of Portuguese midfielder Matheus Fernandes. The 21-year-old M. Fernandes is among the players the Red Devils are clearly interested in, and the club has held discussions regarding the possible transfer fee and salary.

Because West Ham were relegated from the Premier League last season, the club must plan a player sell-off, aiming to generate £150 million in revenue to avoid financial breaches. As a result, M. Fernandes is expected to leave the team during the summer transfer window—it's just a matter of the price.

M. Fernandes joined West Ham last summer from Southampton, who were also relegated from the Premier League at the time, for a fee of £38 million plus £4 million in add-ons. Additionally, there is a 15% sell-on clause, which will be reflected in any transfer fee.

M. Fernandes made a strong impression in his debut season at West Ham, scoring 5 goals and providing 5 assists in the Premier League, attracting widespread attention from top clubs including Manchester United, Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, and Atletico Madrid. British media reports indicate that despite interest from other teams, M. Fernandes has made Manchester United his preferred destination in the summer window.

West Ham United hope to receive £80 million for M. Fernandes, as his contract still has four years remaining and contains no release clause. Manager Nuno Santos also wants to keep the player. However, given the player's push for a move, West Ham may struggle to achieve this.

M. Fernandes was recently left out of Portugal's World Cup squad. To gain the trust of the national team coach—whether Roberto Martinez or a new coach after the World Cup—M. Fernandes cannot remain in the Championship and must join a top-tier club.

Coupled with the club's financial issues, the board may be forced to sell the young player at a reduced price. TalkSPORT reports that West Ham's valuation is unrealistic given their current financial situation, and they may eventually accept a fee of around £50 million plus add-ons, with the total price within £60 million.

Relegated teams struggle to retain their key players, and the prices they command cannot be too high, but they can still reach a certain amount. The record for a sale from a Premier League relegated to Championship team belongs to M. Fernandes' former Southampton teammate Romeo Lavia, who joined Chelsea in 2023 for £53 million plus add-ons.

Manchester United can boost their summer transfer funds by selling surplus players. Rashford, Zirkzee, Ugarte, and Andre Onana are among those on the list.

Among them, 30-year-old goalkeeper Onana has finished his loan at Turkish side Trabzonspor and is preparing to return to Manchester United, but the club has informed him that he has no future there.

Onana's loan contract officially expired on Tuesday, and Manchester United have begun searching for a new club for him. His contract runs until 2028, and if he is not sold quickly, Onana will report back to Carrington on July 8. Trabzonspor are interested in keeping Onana, but his £120,000 per week wages will be an obstacle to any transfer.

Onana's salary demands will make negotiations difficult. Last season, due to Manchester United's absence from European competitions, the player's wages were automatically reduced, which facilitated his loan to Trabzonspor. However, with United regaining Champions League qualification, his salary will increase by 25% on July 1.

Ten Hag brought in Onana from Inter Milan for a high fee of €50 million in 2023, and his cost is another major hurdle. Manchester United need to sell him for €20 million to avoid a book loss. Who would pay that fee for Onana? The answer is probably no one.

Manchester United may agree to loan Onana out again, but will require the other club to cover all his wages during the loan period, saving £6 million in salary costs. Onana's agent is expected to begin negotiations with Manchester United regarding his future soon.