That's fair enough, don't you think? The Red Devils have been fleeced plenty of times in recent memory but there is a different hierarchy now and they are acting far smarter in the transfer window.

Fortunately for Jason Wilcox and Co, their midfield shortlist is lengthy. It's more of a long list. They are set to welcome Ederson from Atalanta but more is needed.

Man Utd want £85m midfielder after Anderson blow

For United, they will need to ramp up their plans now to secure a marquee signing in midfield. That's if they want one.

Several players are on their radar from Newcastle United's Sandro Tonali to Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton. That said, like Anderson, both will cost a fortune.

The good news is that it won't be quite as expensive but fees of around £100m have been touted for both. The Premier League market has gone mad, hasn't it?

On that evidence, the £39m fee they are set to pay Atalanta for Ederson is a remarkably good bargain. They should be applauded for the move they have made there.

Yet, the fact of the matter is that if they are to sufficiently replace the departing Casemiro they will need to spend more money.

Another player they've looked at is Mateus Fernandes. Previous reports heading into the window have outlined that the player wants to join and talks have already taken place with his representatives.

The latest on the club's pursuit comes from Fabrizio Romano. Taking to his YouTube account, he said: "Don't forget the name of Mateus Fernandes. The price for him is £85m. Manchester United have genuine interest. They spoke already with the agent of the player, Jorge Mendes. He's one of the names being discussed and part of the conversation. Manchester United really really like the player. They remain attentive to the situation."

Romano further mentioned that the Red Devils could face competition from Real Madrid with new manager Jose Mourinho taking an interest.

Why Fernandes could be a better signing than Anderson

It's obvious why United wanted to sign Anderson so much. During the 2025/26 season, he was celebrated as "one of the best midfielders in the Premier League" by Thomas Tuchel.

Tuchel loves him, everybody loves him and it's no surprise. This is a midfielder who seemingly has it all. Can he dictate play? Of course he can. Can he score goals? Well, the fact he netted four times for Forest as they beat the drop suggests he can.

Can he do the defensive work well? You bet he can. In that regard, he is one of the very best in the league. Rather ironically, the only player who made more defensive contributions per 90 minutes in the Premier League last term was Manuel Ugarte.

That being said, there is a feeling that Fernandes actually has a higher ceiling.

The Portuguese star may well have been relegated across back to back seasons with Southampton and West Ham but he was one of, if not their best player in both campaigns.

This is a player who, according to reports, United believe can reach Declan Rice's level and if that is the case, they should throw the book at him instead of Anderson.

It's hard to disagree with that statement. Compared to Anderson, this is a better carrier of the ball, this is someone who's more likely to progress play higher up the pitch and more effectively.

Indeed, in the Premier League throughout 2025/26, no two midfielders had a higher ratio of progressive carry distance to turnover per carry than Rice and Fernandes. Not sure what that means? Essentially it's defined by how much forward ground a player gains via dribbling before losing the ball.

The 21-year-old is simply remarkably strong at evading the press which would be a boon for Michael Carrick considering Casemiro was no longer the most energetic of midfield players.

Right now, Anderson is the better player. He's going to start for England at the World Cup and is the type of signing Sir Alex Ferguson would love to have made during his era.

Alas, the Forest star is off the table and in the form of Fernandes, they have a player who could well surpass his talents in the forthcoming years. As a result, he really does feel like the next best option available.

When it came to distance covered, there was not a huge amount between them. Anderson ran the most km of any midfielder in the league last season (318.6km) but that wasn't too far ahead of Fernandes who ran 279km, the ninth highest of all positionally similar players in England's top-flight.

Two years Anderson's junior, just imagine where the Portuguese could be in a couple of years time. This is a scarily good talent who's even found a way to stand out in two relegated sides. The thought of seeing him in a more ball dominant side is a mouthwatering one.