Man United eye intriguing £60m transfer swoop as Tottenham ready box office midfielder bid

We’re just over halfway through the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and the expanded 48-team tournament has been an entertaining one so far, with some stunning goals, memorable upsets and dramatic VAR drama lighting up the group stage. England are back in action today, as they look to top the group with a win in their last game against Panama.

Meanwhile, the summer transfer window is up and running, and things are starting to liven up as Premier League clubs prepare to launch bids for their top targets. Arsenal have been making the headlines over the past 24 hours, with reports suggesting they’ve had a bid turned down for Newcastle United skipper Bruno Guimaraes. And that’s just the tip of the summer window iceberg.

We’ll kick today’s transfer rumours round-up off with a fresh update on Manchester City, who are closing in on a blockbuster move for Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson. The England international is set to move to the Etihad Stadium - but according to BBC Sport, not for a British transfer record, with City’s £116m fee less than the £125m Liverpool paid for Alexander Isak last summer.

He’s set to have his medical out in the US while on England duty, before joining up with his new side for pre-season training next month. Tottenham’s Lucas Bergvall and Inter’s Davide Frattesi are named as potential replacements for Forest, who look set to invest their newfound riches in two high quality midfielders.

The 3AM Verdict: The worst thing that could happen to Anderson would be to go to City and not play football every week, which is exactly what happened to Kalvin Phillips, who spent last season in the Championship on loan at Sheffield United. Pep Guardiola was a fiend for relentlessly rotating his midfield options, but with Enzo Maresca likely to be in charge next season, he should be able to fulfil his potential.

Tottenham ready to ‘accelerate’ move for West Ham star

Down in London, Tottenham are going all-out in the summer transfer window, having already captured free agent duo Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi, as well as big-money defender Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton and goalkeeper Martin Dubravka from Burnley. Next up, they’re after a new midfielder, and look to be chasing West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes.

Football Insider say that Spurs are ready to push ahead with a move to sign the Portuguese ace, and could be set to table an official bid to formalise their interest. Real Madrid, Man United and Paris Saint-Germain are also said to be in the mix, but the Irons’ rumoured £85m asking price is believed to have put off all potential suitors making an offer thus far.

Spurs have also been linked with Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali, who is expected to have a similarly lofty asking price. The race for Fernandes is in danger of becoming a lengthy saga, with both Tottenham and Man United linked with the 21-year-old, but neither willing to take the plunge as of yet.

The 3AM Verdict: Tottenham’s transfer strategy is very clear this summer: buy tried and tested Premier League players. They’re not in a position where they can afford to take gambles, having wasted money on several unknown quantities in recent years, so it makes sense. Fernandes would be a great signing, but they’re in danger of losing him to a rival if they don’t move quick.

Man United eye Fernandes alternative

Rounding things off neatly, Spurs might not have to worry about Premier League competition for Fernandes after all, with Man United now said to be after Bournemouth’s Alex Scott instead. Caught Offside say that the Red Devils are ready to explore alternative options to Fernandes, and join the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham in making “initial enquiries” for the player.

The article goes on to suggest that the £85m wanted for Fernandes is too much for United to afford, having already shelled out £35m to sign Atalanta midfielder Ederson, and they could sign Scott for £60m instead. Scott is billed as a “more realistic” signing than Fernandes, and one which would avoid the Red Devils being dragged into a bidding war.

The 3AM Verdict: Perhaps the jigsaw pieces are finally falling into place here. City get Anderson, Tottenham get Fernandes, United get Scott... but where that leaves Tonali, we’re not sure. Scott is undoubtably a top quality midfielder, but is a different style of player to Fernandes. The former is much more of an attacking option, while the latter is renowned for his defensive abilities.

Read more: Why Panama may provide a much tougher test than England expect