Man Utd news: Jose Mourinho plots £80m hijack as club chief reveals transfer reality

Manchester United will look to strengthen their squad this summer as Michael Carrick's side prepare for Champions League football

Manchester United will be flexing their muscles during the summer transfer window – and they've all but sealed their first recruit. Michael Carrick has been handed the permanent job at Old Trafford after a stellar Premier League campaign.

He is at the wheel for the foreseeable future and after a third-place top-flight finish, United will play Champions League football next term. But before next season gets underway, there's likely to be plenty of business in the transfer market.

It appears as though Ederson will be the first one through the door as a £39million deal with Atalanta has been agreed. United are also reportedly interested in a recently relegated midfielder for £80m.

But former manager Jose Mourinho has reportedly urged Real Madrid, who he looks set to join soon, to hijack this approach as Mirror Football brings you the latest from Old Trafford.

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Mateus Fernandes hijack

West Ham were condemned to the Championship this season after finishing 18th, and it is expected that a host of their top talent will seek an exit. Mateus Fernandes, who was also relegated with Southampton in 2025, is the cream of the crop.

Fernandes dazzled in a poor Hammers side and has his fair share of suitors now his team find themselves in the second-tier. His price tag is estimated at £80m and United are thought to be among the leading clubs in the race to sign him. However, Mourinho, who managed at Old Trafford from 2016 to 2018, has reportedly told Real Madrid to hijack this deal, according to Spanish outlet AS.

If Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is re-elected on Sunday, Mourinho will become the club's new manager. The report claims that he has recommended Fernandes to Perez.

Omar Berrada's 'warning'

Elsewhere, United's CEO Omar Berrada has discussed the club's summer transfer strategy and perhaps hinted that a marquee signing may not arrive in this window.

He said: "We have to be really disciplined, it's simple. We have a plan, we know what we can invest, and we have to stick to that. In some cases, we may decide to make an investment knowing it's the right thing for not just the next two or three years, but the next 10 years.

"But clearly, we need to stay very focused on what we're trying to achieve. It's very important that you don't let the market or the agents dictate what we should be doing."

This comment about not allowing other clubs or agents to dictate a deal may signal that, if there is a desire to complete a big, marquee signing, they will do so on their terms.

Berrada added: "I think the template for what we did last summer will be replicated. You always go into a window, and you don't know how you're going to come out of it, but you have to be really prepared. We have to be ready, we have to be agile and flexible. But we have a clear plan. Jason Wilcox and his team are very well set up to execute that plan."