It has been well-documented that Manchester United are looking to strengthen their midfield options this summer as the Red Devils look to build on the good work done by Michael Carrick during his spell as interim manager last season.

United finished third in the Premier League, subsequently qualifying for the Champions League, and Carrick saw his temporary contract made permanent.

Casemiro’s departure at the end of his contract means that the Red Devils will be looking to sign one midfielder at the very least, but it could certainly end up being multiple.

Numerous names have been linked with a switch to Old Trafford and work is going on behind the scenes regarding targets. However, to no surprise, some of those players are also courting interest from Premier League rivals, and it appears as though United are currently facing a similar scenario.

United want Felix Nmecha

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According to TEAMtalk, Borussia Dortmund midfielder Felix Nmecha is currently subject to strong interest from Manchester United, as well as fellow Premier League club Chelsea.

Additionally, Newcastle United had also been an interested party but the Magpies have since stepped away from a potential deal due to Dortmund’s reported €100m (£86m) valuation of the Germany star.

Nmecha is currently at the World Cup in North America with Die Mannschaft and scored in Germany’s 7-1 romping of Curaçao in the opening match. He also registered an assist in that match, as well as one in a 2-1 victory over the Ivory Coast.

The 25-year-old was on course to feature in all 34 of Dortmund’s Bundesliga matches last season but an injury towards the back end of the campaign kept him sidelined for a month.

Often deployed as either an eight or a six, Nmecha isn’t known for his goalscoring but did contribute five goals across all competitions alongside three assists.

United in the strongest position

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Assessing the current negotiating stance of both Manchester United and Chelsea, the former are in the strongest position considering that they have Champions League football to offer, whereas the latter aren’t even in Europe this season.

Additionally, Nmecha’s previous links to Manchester could act as a factor. Although German, the midfielder came through Manchester City’s youth ranks and even played for England at a couple of youth levels.

He made a total of three first-team appearances for the Cityzens before joining Wolfsburg on a free transfer in 2021 and has spent the last three seasons at Dortmund.

Labelled as “world-class” by his national team manager Julian Nagelsmann, Nmecha would certainly bring plenty of athleticism and tenacity to the United core and could prove to be a perfect Casemiro replacement.

Tottenham Hotspur may have moved one step closer to landing another dream Roberto De Zerbi transfer target after offering him £7.3m per year to join the club.

Tottenham chiefs and De Zerbi are clearly doing everything to not only ensure they don’t find themselves in a Premier League relegation scrap again next season, but that they are actually competing in and around the top six again.

That is the level of ambition they are showing in the summer transfer window so far, with Andy Robertson, Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dubravka already signing on at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Spurs are far from done there even though their backline is coming together, with a focus on strengthening their midfield and attack next ahead of next season.

Tottenham are being linked with many forwards including Marcus Rashford and Savinho, who Fabrizio Romano reports they are in talks with Manchester City to sign.

However, midfield seems to be the priority right now, with De Zerbi showing huge ambition with the players he wants to join to bolster the engine room.

Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali has been their number one target for the position, but the Italian manager wants West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes alongside him too next term.

Tottenham Offer Mateus Fernandes £7.3m-Per-Year Contract

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While Tottenham remain intent on a big-money deal to prise Tonali away from St James’ Park, they are also involved in an intense battle with Manchester United for Fernandes.

According to Claret & Hugh, both clubs are said to have reached an agreement on personal terms with the player, who is open to joining whichever club can agree a fee with the Hammers.

The report claims that Spurs have offered a deal worth approximately £140,000-a-week (£7.3m per year) to the Portugal international to convince him to move across the capital, with the 21-year-old’s salary dropping to £30,000-a-week from £60,000-a-week following the club’s relegation to the Championship.

A deal isn’t close yet though, with either club yet to make a formal offer for the ‘superstar’ midfielder, who West Ham are determined to get £80-85m for.

Perhaps things will move once the SCR deadline passes on Tuesday.

Tottenham Offer West Ham Fernandes Swap Deal

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According to ExWHUEmployee, Tottenham are offering players in exchange to try and help get a deal over the line for Fernandes.

Spurs and United both seem reluctant to reach West Ham’s £85m valuation as things stand, so offering players as part of any offer will help to reduce the fee.

Of course, the Irons also need to be tempted by what is being offered to them, with Mikey Moore one of the names mentioned.

Tottenham surely won’t want to lose the talented 18-year-old permanently following an impressive year on loan with Rangers, but also De Zerbi has shown that he prefers experience to youth, with Lucas Bergvall already deciding he needs to go following the club’s interest in Tonali and Fernandes.

A loan exit for Moore could be a possibility then, and he could be seen as a player who could really boost West Ham’s chances of securing an immediate return to the Premier League.

British No.1 Emma Raducanu has been spotted enjoying some time off with a new love interest in Battersea Park, and it has come to light that her new ‘boyfriend’ has undergone some significant personal heartbreak over the years.

The 23-year-old tennis star was photographed with 32-year-old public relations executive John Friend on a park bench and the pair appeared to be comfortable in each other’s company, even sharing an embrace.

They are rumoured to be dating, and it is hoped that the relationship will add some stability for the 2021 US Open champion after some turbulent years with injuries and coaching changes.

Who is Emma Raducanu’s New Boyfriend

Friend is the director of his own public relations company, JSGF, and previously served in the British Army as a paratrooper in the elite 4 Para reserve regiment.

Earlier in life, he attended the prestigious private Harrow School in London. He’s also said to have connections to British tennis as his father reportedly served as a committee member on the Queen’s Club real tennis committee. Raducanu finished as the runner-up at this year’s Queen’s.

Raducanu’s Boyfriend’s Personal Tragedy

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In 2022, Friend’s brother Will died at the age of 33 after being struck by lightning in the United States.

Will had been living in the US at the time, and it occurred while he was boating near Masonboro Island in North Carolina. Paramedics attended the scene, but they were unfortunately unable to revive him.

The incident attracted media coverage at the time as Will was married to actress Bevin Prince, who is best known for playing Bevin Mirskey on the series One Tree Hill. The couple had been married since 2016.

In 2018, Friend also lost his mother to breast cancer, and in 2024, his other brother also passed away aged 33. After the death of his mother, the family formed a charity in her memory to raise money for Action Against Cancer.

Emma Raducanu’s Wimbledon Heartbreak

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Raducanu just yesterday withdrew from Wimbledon after scans revealed she had a stress fracture in her lower leg.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but sadly I’ve had to withdraw from this year’s Wimbledon,” she confirmed on her Instagram page.

“Playing at Wimbledon, in front of a home crowd, means everything to me, so this is really difficult to process.”

Despite her withdrawal from the tournament, she has secured a £40,000 pay day.