Man Utd make the next Rooney their top target

£80m plus would be enough to land Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo, or the towering Gareth Bale – now the money needed to sign Manchester United’s Mateus Fernandes.

Of course, inflation is the key word there, but even so, the way the market has been distorted recently is surprising, and United are perhaps wise not to have got involved in a bidding war for the Portuguese boy.

Instead, Fernandes is set to join Roberto De Zerbi’s new club, Tottenham Hotspur, who are the fifth to reach the top of London following last season’s shock.

Back at Old Trafford, Michael Carrick’s men are on a very solid footing after a respectable third place finish, there is no time to panic just yet. Indeed, there are many fish in the sea.

The £130m World Cup star tops Man Utd’s target list

£116m seemed too expensive for Elliot Anderson, while INEOS were unwilling to pay that fee for Fernandes, as they have not received assurances from either player that they actually want to move to Old Trafford.

It remains to be seen whether or not United will really go big this summer, with Paul Pogba’s club-record £89m signing yet to be eclipsed despite their spending spree over the last decade or so.

One area that could need strengthening is on the left, although a lot of that depends on whether or not Marcus Rashford stays in Manchester beyond the end of the window.

As revealed by Sky Sports, if Rashford is to leave, United could look to invest in a marquee replacement, with Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers said to be a ‘top target’.

The England international worked under Carrick at Middlesbrough, hailing the Geordie as a “great manager” who played a major role in the 23-year-old’s development.

A reunion could be on the cards, although Villa are not looking for sellers, with some claims suggesting they could fetch around £130m this summer.

Why Rogers is worth Man Utd’s investment

£130m for another relative seems like an eye-catching fee, but if the Red Devils can negotiate that down a bit, it would be a sensible move to bring Rogers to Old Trafford.

Not only has he benefited from working under Carrick in the past, but the Halesowen-born striker is an exciting, versatile talent who can slot into the left or central role comfortably.

Released from the Championship in January 2024, Rogers has almost taken over the talismanic position at Villa Park since then, scoring 60 goals and assisting the club in 125 games so far.

His latest contribution came in Villa’s Europa League final win over Freiburg, a crowning moment for Unai Emery’s side after consistent progress in recent years.

Rogers, once on the books at Manchester City, is now part of Thomas Tuchel’s England squad, and there was genuine pre-tournament debate over whether he should start ahead of Jude Bellingham in that number ten spot.

Bellingham, obviously, won that battle, but being in the conversation speaks to what a talent Rogers is, especially with the likes of Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Morgan Gibbs-White all watching at home.

What Tuchel clearly appreciates about the Villa man’s game is how powerful he is, having previously been hailed as “like [Wayne] Rooney in his youth” by Glenn Hoddle.

Much like ‘Wazza’, there is that relentlessness and physicality to his game that deserves praise, he can effectively move up the field.

Like the young Rooney himself, Rogers boasts matchmaking production, as United learned in December as he scored twice in Villa’s 2-1 win over Ruben Amorim and co.

In two moments, the £130m ace broke down the left-hand side to curl into the far corner, giving youngster Leny Yoro a terrible night as he stole the show for the hosts.

His tally of 26 goals and assists in all competitions last season was actually bettered only by Bruno Fernandes (31) back at Old Trafford, highlighting what a coup could bring him into the fold this summer.

What’s most impressive about his game is how he always looks to make that killer pass or join in on key attacks, notably ranking in the top 14% of attacking midfielders and defenders in Europe’s top five leagues with 90 continuous passes.

United tend to worship players who want to take the risk of wanting to open spaces, with figures like Rooney and Fernandes always looking for a way to hurt the opposition, either by running, driving or cutting, splitting the defense.

Rogers, while still only 23, is cut from the same cloth, with this potentially being the deal INEOS needs the green light to really enter the market.