Manchester United may shelve Premier League signings and switch to potential talents! Not being rejected by Anderson or M. Fernandes was a strategic withdrawal.

Following the blow of their primary summer target Elliott Anderson moving to Manchester City for £116 million, United faced further disappointment as long-courted Mateus Fernandes also chose Tottenham for £85 million. Currently, United's new objective is Bournemouth's Alex Scott.

Scott has two years left on his Bournemouth contract, and the club does not wish to sell him this summer. They plan to extend the 23-year-old English midfielder's deal, inserting a £75 million release clause. If any club wants to buy him this summer, the "Cherries" will demand £80 million.

United believe they can negotiate the price down to around £60 million, but their thinking has proven futile—they also thought they could get Anderson and M. Fernandes at reduced prices!

£80 million is a familiar figure; almost all notable Premier League midfielders who might move this summer are valued around that amount. Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton, Brighton's Carlos Baleba, and others long linked with United are also reportedly valued at £80 million.

According to United's Sun journalist Samuel Luckhurst, if the pursuit of Scott again hits a dead end, United may abandon their strategy of buying within the Premier League and instead acquire potential players with little or no English football experience.

United had hoped to strengthen their midfield quickly with players proven in the Premier League, especially after Ugarte's serious injury left Carrick's squad severely short in midfield. Last season, the club signed two Premier League wingers for the forward line, both achieving double-digit goals, which convinced the recruitment department that buying from the Premier League was the way to go.

Unfortunately, insiders admit that the market environment has changed this summer. Manchester City raised their offer for Anderson to £116 million, and with the 23-year-old England international signing a five-year contract, the total cost reaches £200 million. As a result, Premier League clubs have naturally increased their asking prices for midfielders, reportedly by an average of 20%.

United's recruitment department cites a favorite example: in the winter window of 2025, they spent £1.5 million to sign Ayden Heaven from Arsenal. The 19-year-old English center-back performed reasonably well, starting 12 matches last season.

However, other clubs scoff at this. Heaven, though well-regarded, was not heavily utilized after Carrick took over—he endured two stretches of three consecutive months without a Premier League start. This illustrates that United's beloved "young talents" have not yet reached the level of regular Premier League starters.

United insiders insist that Anderson and M. Fernandes did not reject them; neither ever directly turned down a move to United. It was the club itself that strategically withdrew, as the cost of signing them was too high. In reality, Anderson had publicly expressed his desire to join City months earlier, while M. Fernandes initially leaned toward United. However, Sir Jim Ratcliffe's team refused to pay more than £70 million in fixed transfer fees, allowing Tottenham to swoop in, quickly swaying M. Fernandes to complete the deal.

United's only confirmed signing this summer is not a Premier League player. They brought in Brazilian international Ederson from Atalanta for £39 million. If they cannot follow their new principle of prioritizing Premier League buys, they will again take risks by signing from European leagues. Names like Mamadou Sangaré from Lens (Ligue 1), Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille, Felix Nmecha from Dortmund, and Aurelien Tchouameni from Real Madrid have all been linked with United.

Of course, few among them meet the "low-cost" criterion. Sangaré is the only one among the aforementioned players who might be acquired at a reasonable price. The players United can buy seem to be dwindling.