Manchester United’s transfer strategy has come under a lot of scrutiny in recent years, with hundreds of millions wasted on players who simply failed to meet the desired standards.
The world record signing (for a defender) of £80m for Harry Maguire and the £86m spent on Brazilian Antony are just two of many signings that failed to live up to expectations. That begs the question of how many top players the Red Devils could have signed with those same funds.
Even captain and talisman Bruno Fernandes shares those frustrations, having been particularly outspoken about missing out on one target – Portugal international teammate and fellow midfielder Matheus Nunes in 2022.
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Nunes now plays for the club’s rivals Manchester City, having lifted his first Premier League trophy last season. But the Red Devils had the opportunity to sign the 25-year-old even before he joined Wolves in August 2022.
United forked out a whopping £70m to sign an ageing Casemiro rather than stepping up their pursuit of Nunes, who Wolves managed to sign for just £38m (which rose to £43m). It was a huge mistake in retrospect, although Fernandes admitted his frustrations even then after United failed to sign his compatriot.
Fernandes told Portuguese outlet Record: “I’ve already spoken to him. I’ve already told him that he should have come here[to United]and not there[to Wolves]. I’m very happy for him.”
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“He’s going to experience the best league in the world, he’s going to have players with a lot of quality at his side, like Rubén (Sa) and Joao (Moutinho), who are going to teach him a lot. They are two experienced players.
“Matheus is doing incredible things. He has incredible growth potential, he is a humble and hard-working boy and I am sure that he will probably explode in the Premier League and show his qualities. Because of his qualities Matheus is not made for the Premier League, but the Premier League is made for Matheus.”
United’s mistake in not signing Nunes became even more apparent when City spent £53m on him last summer. Pep Guardiola echoed Fernandes’ praise for Nunes, calling him an “exceptional player”, having previously hailed him as “one of the best in the world” when he was still at Sporting CP.
Nunes featured in just 17 of City’s Premier League-winning campaign, making a further 11 appearances in all competitions. But he will be keen to make a bigger contribution in his second term at the Etihad ahead of the 2024/25 season.
Meanwhile, Fernandes’ future at United is hanging in the balance. The playmaker has been a star at Old Trafford since his arrival in January 2020 and was handed the captain’s armband last season.
But it proved to be a lacklustre season for Erik ten Hag’s men, and new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is now demanding a restructuring of the entire squad. Fernandes is reportedly not off limits when it comes to being offered to potential suitors this summer.
French champions PSG are expected to test United’s stance on keeping their captain. And just a couple of months ago, Fernandes outlined what the Red Devils must do to keep him, stating that the club “have to want me”.
