Carragher: Manchester United Should Have Signed Mateus Fernandes
Jamie Carragher has warned Manchester United they backed the wrong midfield horse this summer – and that Mateus Fernandes, not Youri Tielemans, should have been the marquee buy.
United have flooded Michael Carrick’s squad with six new arrivals, including a rebuilt midfield, but Carragher is adamant the club misjudged where to really push the boat out.
Carragher: United should have gone all-in on Fernandes
Fernandes had been firmly on United’s radar earlier in the window, yet the club refused to match the £85m guaranteed fee Spurs agreed with West Ham United. No add-ons, straight cash – and United walked away.
Instead, they pounced on what many see as a market steal: a £35m deal with Aston Villa for Tielemans after a proposed £43m move for Atalanta’s Ederson collapsed following a medical. Carrick’s midfield reshuffle also includes a £50m move for Andrey Santos from Chelsea.
Carragher, speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate, couldn’t shake the feeling United had played it safe at the wrong moment.
“I was a little bit worried when I saw United linked with Fernandes because I thought that could be a good signing,” he said. “I just looked at him and his age and was surprised United didn't go for Fernandes. They said it was too expensive but was it that expensive?
“I know £85m is a lot but you’re never going to get a really top midfielder now for £50m.”
For Carragher, Fernandes was the kind of long-term, top-shelf investment United should have prioritized, even at a premium price.
Tielemans move feels “the wrong way round”
Tielemans arrives at Old Trafford with pedigree and miles on the clock. The 29-year-old has 244 Premier League games behind him, having joined Leicester City from Monaco in 2019 before switching to Villa on a free after the Foxes’ relegation in 2023.
Carragher isn’t questioning the Belgian’s quality. His issue is timing.
“The thing with Tielemans, I was watching the Super Cup and I'd just seen that Man United were on ITV playing Leeds, so I put it on,” he explained.
“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.
“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.”
In Carragher’s eyes, United have signed a player they ought to have had at his peak, not on the back end of that window.
Mikel and Foster hail a “steal”
Not everyone agrees with Carragher’s assessment. Inside the game, Tielemans’ move is being framed by some as the smartest piece of business of the summer.
John Obi Mikel has already branded the Belgian the “signing of the season”.
“For me, it's Youri Tielemans,” the former Chelsea midfielder said. “Honestly... how the f*** did Manchester United get him for £35million? That's a f****** steal. I watched him before and during the World Cup, and you can see that this is a player.
“Obviously, we all know how Tielemans plays, he can play as a six, an eight or a 10 and when you have a player that can play anywhere, it gives you the variety to change the way you want to play. Tielemans is that guy.
“He scores goals, he's dangerous from set pieces, he's brilliant on the ball, and he rarely gives it away. The only thing people can say is that he's not the quickest, but he reads the game so well.
“He is very intelligent with and without the ball. When I look at all the midfielders that have transferred to different clubs [this summer], the best one is Tielemans.”
Former United goalkeeper Ben Foster is just as emphatic.
“I still think Youri Tielemans is the signing of the summer so far. What a bit of business that is,” he said. “I’ve been watching the window so far – Tottenham and Arsenal spending a lot of money, but I still think Tielemans is the best signing.
“For £35million, he is a ready-made, good to go, starting 11 player and I think if you can spend that money on a starter, it is worth every single penny.”
A gamble on value or a missed chance at greatness?
United’s midfield rebuild now carries two competing narratives. On one side, a club that refused to be dragged into an £85m shoot-out and instead landed a proven, versatile Premier League operator for less than half that figure. On the other, a charge that they blinked when a potential elite midfielder was within reach.
Carrick will decide how Tielemans and Santos knit together in the heart of his team. The question that lingers is whether United have cleverly exploited the market – or passed on the kind of statement signing that changes the direction of a club.
