Manchester United have held formal talks with West Ham over the signing of Mateus Fernandes.That’s despite Tottenham being further ahead in the negotiations with the player as they hope to win the race for the Portugal midfielder this summer.Fernandes was a shining light in a tough season for West Ham which ended in relegationAFPWest Ham value the 21-year-old at £80million, and a recent financial boost has put them in a strong position to hold firm on such a fee.Race for Fernandes ‘could change quickly’talkSPORT’s Ben Jacobs detailed the state of play on Sunday’s Episode of The Window, saying: “Manchester United are still in talks with the player at the time of recording and West Ham United, and Tottenham are there as well.“We’ve heard some suggestions in the last 24-48 hours that it’s a done deal with Spurs. We’re not there yet.“Tottenham have been in advanced talks with the player; Manchester United’s talks with the player pre-date Tottenham entering the race – and again, it could change very quickly.“But at the time I’m recording this, Fernandes has not made a decision on which club he wants to join – and there could be others to enter the race as well.“Remember, Arsenal were there a little bit earlier in the summer before the window opened; Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid also hold appreciation too.“But Manchester United are still in formal talks with West Ham, and what I sense here is both Man United and Spurs are waiting to see if they can get that communication from the player that he only wants to join a particular club – and then you’re in a stronger position to negotiate with West Ham United.”West Ham might have needed to offload star names at knockdown prices following their relegation from the Premier League, but the situation is no longer so desperate.Jacobs explained: “Even though West Ham have gone down, they’ve got a cash injection of £90m and as a consequence, there is not as big an urgency anymore to try and bring in that £150m through sales alone…“It was thought maybe three or four weeks ago that West Ham United would need a bit of a fire sale, but now they are in a stronger financial position and that is going to allow them to dig in on this £80-85m asking price.”Could Mateus Fernandes link up with namesake and international teammate Bruno Fernandes at Man United next season?GettyFernandes joined West Ham last summer, arriving from relegated Southampton for a reported fee of over £40m.Despite being relegated from the top flight again in 2025/26, Fernandes has become a man in demand for his impressive all-round midfield performances.The former Sporting Lisbon youngster made 36 Premier League appearances for the Hammers last term, scoring three goals.He made his senior Portugal debut in March’s friendly against the USA though was not included in their 2026 World Cup squad.Man United look to build on strong finish to 2025/26The Red Devils are looking to strengthen their squad having secured a return to the Champions League for 2026/27.Michael Carrick’s side will begin the new Premier League campaign away to newly promoted Hull City on August 22.They then entertain another promoted outfit, Ipswich Town, in their first home game a week later.