Man Utd tipped to sign £100m-rated star by Fabrizio Romano with Bruno Fernandes exit VERY likely

Manchester United are ‘serious contenders’ to sign a £100m-rated midfielder per Fabrizio Romano, while Bruno Fernandes’ Red Devils teammates are convinced that he is finished at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils are heading into yet another new era following the sacking of Ruben Amorim. Still, their transfer priorities remain the same, and they are looking to rebuild their midfield over the next two to three transfer windows.

A host of exciting names have been linked with United , and we have reported for months how Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson is right at the top of their shortlist.

The uncertainty surrounding club captain Fernandes’ future at the club could add urgency to their pursuit. At the same time, the likes of Kobbie Mainoo, Manuel Ugarte and Casemiro have all been heavily linked with exits.

And while work on transfers continues behind the scenes, United are still mulling over who to appoint as their manager until the end of the season, before bringing in a permanent successor to Amorim next season.

Anderson , 23, is on the radar of multiple top sides after impressing hugely since he joined Forest from Newcastle in the summer of 2024.

He is a vital player for Forest, having played every minute of their 21 Premier League matches this season, notching a goal and two assists in the process.

Anderson has earned himself six caps for England so far, and will look to keep his spot in Thomas Tuchel’s squad for the World Cup later this year.

United are hot on his tail, and according to reliable journalist Romano, they are ‘serious contenders’ to sign him. However, any move is likely to occur next summer, due to the Tricky Trees’ reluctance to sell mid-season. In any case, sources suggest that it could take as much as £100m to lure him from the City Ground.

“It is going to be a summer move. So it’s still early to mention a frontrunner. For sure, I can tell you that he’s very high on the list of Manchester United , together with [Brighton’s] Carlos Baleba,” Romano said on the Market Madness podcast .

“There are two, three players that Man United are tracking. I think they will be busy with midfielders in 2026, and Anderson is one of them, for sure.

“So I’m sure United will be in the conversation. Then there are going to be plenty of clubs keen on him. Also, the ones you mentioned, Man City, are also going to look for midfielders. Let’s see what happens at Chelsea.

“So I think it’s going to be a big battle. But at the moment, what I can say is that Man United , for sure, have mentioned his name several times internally, and so I expect them to be serious contenders at the table.”

Back in November, our transfer insider Fraser Fletcher exclusively revealed that United could shockingly sell Fernandes to make room in their squad for their three top midfield targets: Anderson, Baleba, and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton.

Since, the Red Devils’ skipper said in an outburst in an interview that he was angry at the alleged fact that some at the club wanted him gone.

Transfer guru Romano, meanwhile, has also stated Fernandes will consider his future at Man Utd after the 2026 World Cup.

In a new update, a report from The Sun claims that the expectation from those close to Fernandes in the dressing room is that the 31-year-old is now ready to take on a new challenge.

The report states those close to Fernandes ‘fear’ he’s ‘had enough’ of the constant ‘turmoil’ the club find themselves in.

The Sun quote a source as saying: “Some of the squad think Bruno has had enough and, to be honest, they don’t blame him.

“He always gives 100 per cent and has been the club’s best player since he joined. But they think that he feels let down under the new ownership model and Amorim leaving has not helped. He isn’t a likely candidate for a big-money move to Saudi because he’s a football purist.

“But no one can doubt from the moment he signed for Manchester United , he has given his all.

“No one wants him to leave – but his team-mates would understand if he did.”

We reported on Friday how the leading contenders to become United’s new interim manager are club legends Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick.

Sources have also played down suggestions that Solskjaer could be appointed and Carrick be brought in as his assistant – it’s more likely to be one or the other, not both.

We revealed that more talks were set to take place with both Solksjaer and Carrick.

Now, the Manchester Evening News have backed up our information, stating that United are preparing for a ‘further round of discussions with Solskjaer.’

According to the Bookies, Solskjaer and Carrick are neck-and-neck in the race to become the Red Devils caretaker boss, with big developments expected soon.