Jamie Carragher has admitted he was worried Manchester United would sign Mateus Fernandes, believing the Portuguese midfielder was exactly the kind of player the club should have been looking at this summer.
United have added added Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans to their midfield this season, but Carragher feels they missed an opportunity with Fernandes, who eventually joined Tottenham Hotspurs.
Speaking on The Overlap, the former Liverpool defender explained why Fernandes caught his attention.
“Who I was a little bit worried about and thought ‘that could be a good signing’ was [Mateus Fernandes]. I thought because of his age, he’s about 21, was someone (they could have signed).”
Carragher was then asked whether he was surprised United did not pursue Fernandes or Sandro Tonali.
“Were you surprised they didn’t go for Tonali or Fernandes? I was worried you were going to go for Fernandes, but they they said it was too expensive.”
Jamie Carragher questions Fernandes’ price tag
The reported fee appears to have been a major reason for Manchester United not making a move.
Carragher, however, isn’t convinced that £85m should automatically have ruled the midfielder out.
“But was it that expensive, £85million? I know it’s a lot.”
The former England international then made the point that top midfielders are rarely available for bargain prices anymore.
“Did that feel like a lot? You’re never going to get a really top midfielder now for £50million.”
Manchester United have instead opted for a different approach in midfield. Tielemans arrived from Aston Villa in a £35m deal and signed a five-year contract, while Santos joined from Chelsea.
Was Tielemans a good signing over Fernandes?
Carragher believes United should have beaten Tottenham to Fernandes, though he didn’t suggest Tielemans is a poor signing.
In fact, the former United target’s decision-making appears to have reminded Carragher of another player who eventually made his way to Old Trafford.
“It just came to me a little bit – Tielemans was taking a corner, and it come to me, he’s a good player, don’t get me wrong. But you’d almost feel like he should have been at United a few years ago, then gone to Villa – not being at Villa, then gone to United.”
Carragher believes the timing of Tielemans’ career move feels slightly backwards from a Manchester United perspective.
“I’m not saying he’s had his best days, but it almost felt like the wrong way round. The last three years should have been at United, and then he gets sold to Villa.”
That doesn’t necessarily mean Carragher thinks Tielemans will struggle at Old Trafford. His point is more about the type of recruitment United should have been doing earlier.
The focus now shifts to the Premier League, with United preparing to face newly promoted Hull City in their opening fixture on Saturday.
Whether Tielemans can prove to be the right midfielder for the new era under Michael Carrick remains to be seen. Carragher, though, still seems to think Fernandes was the bigger opportunity.
