Manchester United are closing in on the signing of Mateus Fernandes from West Ham, according to Football Insider.

United have been in the market for at least two central midfielders so far this summer, with Ederson the first to arrive at Old Trafford after a £38million deal was struck with Serie A side Atalanta.

The transfer has not yet been confirmed, but will go through once the player’s involvement with Brazil at the 2026 World Cup is complete.

There has always been a plan in place for United to make two signings in the central midfield department, however, as Michael Carrick looks to add strength in depth. And with the club willing to listen to offers for Manuel Ugarte too, a third midfielder could even arrive.

Manchester United are making progress on transfer

via Reuters

Fernandes has just suffered his second relegation in a row, with West Ham slipping through the Premier League trapdoor, like Southampton the year before, with Fernandes having made a £38million move from St Mary’s to London Stadium last summer.

Analytics United on West Ham’s official website described Fernandes as “clearly a special talent” and despite those relegations on his CV, Fernandes is hot property, with Tottenham also in the market to sign the 21-year-old this summer.

But it appears United have stolen a march on the Portuguese star, with Football insider reporting that the Red Devils are “making progress towards a full transfer agreement”.

The report also states that United have already agreed personal terms with the player and therefore, once a fee is agreed with the Hammers, a transfer should be concluded reasonably quickly.

All of the midfielders on Manchester United’s shortlist this summer come with a hefty price tag, with many likely to cost up to £100million.

West Ham could accept lower fee for Fernandes

via Reuters

West Ham were holding out for a fee in the region of £80million to allow Fernandes to leave, but Football Insider suggest a transfer could be completed for less than that figure. They report that United are “hoping to conclude a deal worth £65million plus add ons”.

West Ham made it clear they were looking to sell the 21-year-old for double what they paid for him, with the £38million plus £4million in add-ons taking any potential sale over the £80million mark.

If they can secure a deal worth £65million up front, with their own add-ons taking the total package to the £80million, they may feel like they have got a good deal.

WWE fans have always wondered how much money the Superstars actually earn and how their contracts really work. Well, fortunately for them, former WWE Champion Raj Dhesi, who is known best as Jinder Mahal, has just pulled back the curtain on how the deals work behind closed doors, and it’s a fascinating eye-opener.

Since leaving the company, Dhesi has been trying to help younger wrestlers understand the business side of the industry. In an honest video posted on his personal social media, the former “Modern Day Mahajara” deconstructed how WWE contracts are built around the ‘the bucket system’ model.

How WWE Contracts Work

As he explains it, every wrestler starts with a downside guarantee. This is the base salary, the bare minimum WWE has to pay for signing someone on the roster. If they want to make a real life-changing amount of money, however, they would have to earn extra bonuses by getting on TV, wrestling in main events, and selling merchandise.

This is where the ‘bucket system’ kicks in, and gets a bit nuanced.

“Think of it like a bucket,” Dhesi said, explaining how those extra bonuses are tracked.

All through the year, every extra penny a wrestler earns from a T-shirt sale or a big Premium Live Event gets thrown into a virtual bucket. If they have a great year, headline a few shows, and the money in their bucket ends up being more than the base salary, WWE cuts a huge cheque for the difference at the end of the year.

Video: Jinder Mahal Breaks Down WWE Contracts

Also, if they become injured, or if the creative team doesn’t have anything for them, the bucket stays empty. While WWE doesn’t make them pay back the difference, it means they don’t get a single penny over the base salary.

The real shocker from Dhesi’s video, though, is just how rare those big bonus cheques actually are.

He admitted that an incredible 90% of the WWE roster will finish each year with a negative bucket, meaning they never make enough bonuses to clear their base pay. While they also have to pay for their own travel, hotels, and food while on the road, that base salary begins to shrink fast.

As Dhesi continues his mission to inform younger wrestlers about taxes, write-offs, and saving for retirement, this will act as a stark reminder that the financial grind in wrestling is just as brutal as the physical one.

Jurgen Klopp has hit out at Rafael van der Vaart for his comments about Virgil van Dijk at the 2026 World Cup.

Liverpool star Van Dijk, now 34, was included in the Netherlands’ 26-man squad for this summer’s tournament, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

He was named in his nation’s starting lineup for their tournament opener against Japan, scoring as the match ended 2-2.

Van Dijk, still considered one of the best centre-backs in the world, started once again in the Netherlands’ second group game against Sweden on Saturday afternoon. He played the full match as Ronald Koeman’s side ran out comfortable 5-1 victors.

Van Dijk’s former manager at Liverpool, Klopp, appeared on German TV ahead of the Netherlands’ second game, and he felt the need to address comments made by Van der Vaart about Van Dijk.

Jurgen Klopp Slams Rafael van der Vaart

Pawel Andrachiewicz/PressFocus via Reuters

Van der Vaart has developed a reputation for being one of the most outspoken pundits in world football. He isn’t afraid to criticise players and speak his mind.

The Dutchman was not very complimentary of Van Dijk at all for his performance against Japan. Speaking between the first and second Netherlands games, he said on NOS TV, per the Daily Mail:

Klopp has now fired back at Van der Vaart as he addressed his comments about Van Dijk. He said: “I’m not entirely sure if it’s worth mentioning Van der Vaart.

Virgil van Dijk Suffers Injury Scare vs Sweden

REUTERS/Phil Noble

Van Dijk suffered an injury scare against Sweden when he collapsed to the ground. The 34-year-old was able to shake off the knock and continue, though.

Speaking after the match, Van Dijk detailed the injury, revealing he ‘couldn’t feel his upper leg’. He told NOS TV after the match, per Goal:

Netherlands currently top Group F, having picked up four points from their opening two games. They’ll be looking to clinch top spot with a victory over Tunisia on Thursday, June 25.