On July 1, the Manchester Evening News reported that Manchester United refused to meet the asking prices for Anderson and Matheus Fernandes.

Manchester United is now taking a firm stance on player valuations, which has its merits. The club has set its own price assessments and is unwilling to budge easily. When Manchester City offered a nine-figure sum for Elliot Anderson, Manchester United declined; now that Tottenham Hotspur has agreed to pay €85 million for Matheus Fernandes, Manchester United has once again chosen to walk away.

Of course, other factors are at play. Anderson has made it clear he wants to join Manchester City, and Fernandes also appears hesitant about committing solely to Manchester United.

From a business standpoint, Manchester United's approach makes sense. Considering recent midfield transfer fees, Anderson's price is arguably close to market value, but Fernandes is harder to justify. After Southampton and West Ham United were relegated in consecutive seasons, his résumé remains unproven. Although this 21-year-old shows potential, converting that into consistent performances is not guaranteed, and Manchester United would have to invest significantly to take that bet.

At this price point, the club understandably expects more. Fernandes may not deliver what they need, and he is unlikely to be the kind of midfield signing who can immediately transform Manchester United into genuine title contenders next season.

The question now is where Manchester United turns next. Both of their top targets are moving to other Premier League clubs, and these deals will further inflate the market.

Just as Nottingham Forest used Chelsea's €115 million fee for Moisés Caicedo as a reference point, or Arsenal's €105 million spending on Rice in July 2023 as a benchmark, West Ham United can now absolutely use Anderson's €116 million transfer fee as justification when evaluating Fernandes.

So when Manchester United considers ramping up interest in Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott, or returning to Brighton to pursue Baleba, they may discover that valuations have climbed another notch. That's simply how the market works now.

Looking back, Manchester United's most glaring midfield mistake in recent years may have been failing to push harder for a deal before Rice joined Arsenal. Manchester United had long admired the England international and watched him perform against them at Old Trafford for years.

Rice was open to joining Manchester United at the time, but the move never happened.

Had Manchester United been more aggressive then, the transfer could have gone through. If so, Rice and Mainoo would almost certainly form a successful and stable long-term midfield partnership for Manchester United.

In reality, Manchester United is still searching for a partner for Mainoo. Casemiro has already left, and Enzo Silva will join from Atalanta, but the club had hoped to secure another marquee signing. Now that seems unlikely, and these midfield moves this summer have driven prices higher still. Manchester United is holding firm on its valuations and refuses to be dictated to by rivals, but finding a midfield bargain at a price they find acceptable is now probably as elusive as finding a unicorn.

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