Manchester United's interest in West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes continues to gain momentum, with reports suggesting the 21-year-old has agreed personal terms with the Red Devils.
However, legendary striker Teddy Sheringham has expressed reservations about the potential signing, citing concerns over Fernandes' performance last season at West Ham.
Sheringham, who played for both Manchester United and West Ham, believes the club needs to focus on signing top players to stay competitive and avoid missing out on key transfers, as they did with Harry Kane and Declan Rice in the past.
Sheringham praised Sir Alex Ferguson's approach to signing top talent, saying, 'Sir Alex always brought in the top players and they came in and led by example, and you need those top players at a club like United otherwise you'll end up in the same situation.'
Fernandes impressed for West Ham last season, but his side ultimately suffered relegation to the Championship. Arsenal were previously linked with a move for Fernandes, but now appear to be focusing on other targets, including England's Morgan Rogers.
New Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho is also a known admirer of Fernandes, and La Liga giants expect Manchester United to secure his signature. United's biggest rival in the transfer race now appears to be Tottenham, who have also held talks with both West Ham and Fernandes about a move to north London.
West Ham are open to offers for Fernandes, who only joined the club last summer from Southampton, but value him at around £80m. Former England striker Michael Owen believes Fernandes would be a shrewd signing for Manchester United, praising his performance last season and suggesting he could form a great partnership with Kobbie Mainoo.
