Man Utd chasing ‘Bruno-like player’

None of Manchester United’s suitors will be counting their chickens just yet, but it looks like it could be a rare, quiet summer at Old Trafford, following the turmoil of the past few years.

While the incoming business was successfully carried out in 2025, there remained the constant disturbance of Ruben Amorim’s group called the ‘bomb group’, and the saga concerning the move of Bruno Fernandes to Saudi Arabia.

All being well, the captain’s future will not be a talking point at this point, amid speculation about a contract extension, with the Premier League’s 2025/26 player of the year still crucial to the cause in Manchester.

However, at the age of 31, the Portuguese genius will not be able to continue forever, there is a succession plan that needs to be made. Mateus Fernandes looks the most prominent in that role, although he may not be the only target on the show.

Man Utd in the race to sign another big-money Mateus Fernandes

With United seemingly unwilling to join a bid for Manchester City’s Elliot Anderson, much of the focus has been on West Ham United’s Fernandes in recent days and weeks.

Following the Hammers’ relegation from the Championship, there is a deal to be had regarding INEOS, with even the relegated club currently seeking a fee of around £85m-£80m.

The 21-year-old, thankfully, is said to be keen on a switch, as it could be on the cards before he is left out of Portugal’s World Cup squad.

Another man to keep an eye on this summer is Morgan Gibbs-White, with TEAMtalk reporting that Michael Carrick’s side are also among the clubs interested in the Nottingham Forest talisman.

The report suggests that United, along with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Man City and Chelsea, have all shown interest in recent months, while a host of top European clubs have also made enquiries.

Forest, surprisingly, does not want to sell, and may take an ‘extraordinary offer’ if any suitor will confirm his signature. Indeed, the Midlands outfit could demand a price in excess of the £120m asking price for the aforementioned Anderson.

Why Gibbs-White would be a huge upgrade on Mateus Fernandes

Studied at Sporting CP, there is a real feeling that Mateus Fernandes could be the next Bruno Fernandes in waiting, with his ability to feature both as a number eight or playing number ten ensuring he will be a worthy successor to his star compatriot.

That said, Gibbs-White is perhaps the “most Bruno-like player” in the Premier League, in the opinion of one leading commentator, with the Englishman representing a clear improvement from the West Ham star.

Anderson, part of Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad, may be the star attraction at Forest right now, but it is true Gibbs-White, Bruno’s style talisman, who proved the real difference as his side battled their way to survival.

The fact that Gibbs-White was overlooked by Tuchel is still a bit of a bummer considering he was England’s top scorer in this division last season, netting 15 goals for the struggling outfit.

Throughout the upheavals of a season that saw Forest hire four different managers, the former Wolverhampton Wanderers man remained a class above, scoring six goals in the last five league games of the campaign.

That combined for a thrilling, creative finish to a 3-2 thriller against Carrick’s men at Old Trafford, the player deflecting Anderson’s cross into the far corner past a helpless Senne Lammens.

The man with the belt at the City Ground, Gibbs-White really prides himself on what Bruno’s style is, a talismanic quality, a man who often gets his side out of trouble when it matters.

A versatile, pedestrian player who can operate as a number ten, number eight or as a left-back, the Forest captain would represent a clear improvement on young Mateus Fernandes, who is his worst end.

In total, he finished 2025/26 with 19 goals and assists in the league alone, having previously registered 15 goals the previous year.

In comparison, while Fernandes’ age must be taken into account, the 21-year-old registered just seven goals and assists last season, after recording just six goals in his Southampton campaign.

In those two years, Gibbs-White also created a remarkable 15 ‘big chances’ as a sign of his continued influence, while young Fernandes created just nine, twice suffering early collapses.

The West Ham starlet is a talent, no doubt, but Gibbs-White has proven his quality for some time now in the Premier League, ensuring he would represent a dream signing for the Carrick regime.