Carrick wants to sign Portuguese ‘sensation’ with ‘hidden clause’ for Man Utd and partner him with Kobbie Mainoo in midfield – report

Just days after being linked with Lucas Paqueta, Manchester United interim manager Michael Carrick is now said to be keen on bringing another West Ham United star to Old Trafford, with a report revealing his plan to pair him with Kobbie Mainoo in midfield.

On January 13, a speculative report claimed that Man Utd interim-manager Carrick has asked the club’s director of football, Jason Wilcox, to try to sign West Ham attacking midfielder Paqueta in the January transfer window , despite the Brazilian star being keen on a move to Flamengo, as revealed by TEAMtalk sources .

It has now emerged that Paqueta is not the only West Ham star that Carrick has set his sights on to sign from his former club, with a midfield gem also on his radar.

Sports Boom has claimed that the performance of Mateus Fernandes , described as a ‘sensation’ in the report, has ‘captured the attention’ of Man Utd.

Man Utd are not looking for a traditional like-for-like replacement for Casemiro should he leave at the end of the season and want ‘a technical, high-energy partner for Kobbie Mainoo’.

The report has claimed that Fernandes is ‘viewed as the ideal candidate for this tactical evolution’.

Intriguingly, it has been claimed that West Ham are ready to cash in on Fernandes in the January transfer window, despite the Hammers being in real danger of getting relegated to the Championship.

There is a ‘hidden clause’ in Fernandes’ contract at West Ham, which would be ‘a massive market opportunity’ for other clubs should the Hammers get relegated.

While the exact figure of the relegation release clause has not been disclosed, the report has claimed that West Ham are ‘now actively encouraging interest’ in Fernandes in order to sell him for a fee greater than his release clause.

West Ham are third from bottom in the Premier League table at the moment with 17 points from 22 matches and are five points from safety.

According to Sports Boom , Man Utd are not the only major Premier League club that want to sign Fernandes.

The report has claimed that Manchester City are also keen on Fernandes, with Cityzens manager Pep Guardiola viewing the 21-year-old Portuguese star ‘as a natural successor to Matheus Nunes’.

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager is said to have been impressed by Fernandes’ ‘versatility’.

While there could be interest in Fernandes from Man Utd and Man City, it is hard to envisage West Ham selling him midway through the season.

The Portuguese midfielder is a key player for the Hammers, who need him in order to stay in the Premier League.

The 21-year-old has made 19 starts and one substitute appearance in the Premier League for West Ham so far this season, scoring two goals and providing two assists in the process.

The Portugal Under-21 international midfielder joined West Ham from Southampton only in the summer of 2025.

Meanwhile, Man Utd have reportedly made a big bid for a Real Madrid midfielder , who is willing to make the move to Old Trafford.