Fabrizio Romano has revealed the two midfielders Manchester United have high on their shortlist after missing out on Mateus Fernandes.

Tottenham Hotspur beat the Red Devils to Fernandes’ signature after paying West Ham United’s £85 million asking price up front. The Portuguese midfielder had been one of INEOS’ top midfield targets, but the club refused to match Spurs’ bid for the player.

It means United have again gone back to the drawing board after also failing to land Elliot Anderson. The England star preferred a move to Manchester City, who paid £116m to Nottingham Forest, making him the most expensive British player in history.

Romano on Man Utd midfield plans

via Reuters

United have long been expected to sign at least two new midfielders this summer following Casemiro‘s departure. There had also been doubts over Manuel Ugarte’s future, although a knee ligament injury seems likely to prevent a summer transfer.

Romano, speaking on his YouTube channel, has given an update on the club’s plans to overhaul Michael Carrick’s midfield. Two names are highly admired, and one is viewed as an ideal Casemiro replacement.

“The two names that Man United internally consider as fantastic options are Aurelien Tchouameni, but I told you the problem at the moment is the salary, and at the moment, no green light from Real Madrid.”

United have been eyeing Aurelien Tchouameni since the summer transfer window opened, and the French midfielder has a profile similar to Casemiro. He’s been an important player for Real Madrid over the years and even arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu for £85m after the veteran Brazilian left for Old Trafford in August 2022.

Romano added: “Alex Scott is also highly rated by Arsenal and by Manchester United. Alex Scott has many clubs around him this summer, but Bournemouth insist they want to keep the player, and they want to offer him a new contract. Let’s see if Bournemouth will be able to keep him, because one thing is to say that one thing is in the next two months resist in case they receive big proposals.”

Alex Scott enjoyed a superb past season and even earned a call-up to Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the ongoing World Cup. The former Bristol City midfielder is considered an alternative to Fernandes but United face competition from Arsenal for his signature.

Romano also mentioned that Bournemouth’s stance is currently that the Englishman isn’t leaving the Vitality Stadium. He suggested the Cherries could “open doors” for “big money” amid growing interest in their midfield gem who is thought to be valued at £80m.

United already have one new midfielder signed following Ederson’s arrival from Atalanta in a £35m deal. That said, the Brazilian isn’t viewed as a starter or a marquee signing required to address Casemiro’s exit.

Why Man Utd’s midfield mission is failing

via Reuters

There are many issues that have complicated United’s midfield rebuild, including a market shift driven by astronomical fees paid for midfielders. Spurs have not only forked out £85m for Fernandes but also agreed on a staggering £100m deal with Newcastle United for Sandro Tonali.

While signing a Casemiro replacement has been a priority, doing so for such high fees wasn’t INEOS’ intention. That said, their reported stance that they only want players who are “desperate” to join the club is a strategy that won’t work this time around.

Last summer, United beat several Premier League clubs to the signings of Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha. They insisted on pursuing only players who had made Old Trafford their priority.

This mindset, while admirable, won’t always pan out, as players will often go where the money is. Tchouameni might be demanding high wages to make the move, and this is just where the sport finds itself in today’s game.

United can’t afford to miss out on the best possible Casemiro replacement who can lock down the number six position for years to come. He is still only 26 and would arrive with years of experience at club and country level.

All stats courtesy of SofaScore – correct as of 04/07/2026

Rangers will have a decision to make regarding Youssef Chermiti amid reported interest from Ligue 1 giants Lyon.

Santi Aouna of Foot Mercato reports that Lyon have set their sights on Chermiti as a possible replacement for Endrick. The Brazilian striker is headed back to Real Madrid after spending the second half of last season on loan at Groupama Stadium.

The French side have endured financial difficulties in recent years and have reportedly imposed a wage cap following a change of ownership. That means they aren’t looking to spend big on players and could turn to Chermiti to fill the void left by Endrick.

Lyon weigh up bid for Chermiti

Chermiti only arrived at Rangers from Everton in a £10m deal, and encountered a topsy-turvy debut season at Ibrox. The 22-year-old managed 15 goals and five assists in 41 games across competitions, overcoming a difficult start to life in the Scottish Premiership.

With Lyon now eyeing the Portuguese forward, the Gers may have a fight on their hands to keep hold of him. He’ll have the opportunity to play in the UEFA Champions League by switching to Les Gones.

It’s thought that the French club are considering making a €20m (£17m) offer for Chermiti, who has been handed competition for a starting berth in Derek McInnes’ frontline. Lawrence Shankland has linked up with McInnes after leaving Hearts of Midlothian, and the 30-year-old will likely lead the line next season.

Chermiti has shown glimpses of promise but not enough to suggest he is the man to fire the Gers to the Scottish Premiership title. Moving him on for a decent fee could be the right decision, especially after Shankland’s arrival.

Lyon latest Champions League club eyeing Chermiti

Chermiti isn’t the only Scottish Premiership striker on Lyon’s radar, though, as they also admire Hearts’ Claudio Braga. He caught the eye during his side’s title race, managing 14 goals and five assists in 33 league games.

The same outlet claims that discussions are ongoing between the two clubs and Hearts are holding out for €10m (£8.5m). Should the French side swoop for Braga, it could cast doubt on Chermiti joining his Portuguese compatriot at Groupama Stadium.

Other Champions League clubs have also shown interest in Chermiti, including Turkish giants Galatasaray and Eredivisie heavyweights PSV Eindhoven. There is a chance the player will still move on, even if it’s not to Lyon.

Rangers are believed to have placed a £21.5m asking price on the Portuguese star. They are looking to raise a club-record fee should he depart this summer.

New footage has emerged showing exactly what President Donald Trump said to Dana White during the epic UFC Freedom 250 main event between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje at the White House.

The undisputed UFC Lightweight Championship clash was one of the greatest fights in UFC history, headlining a 14th of June card that was commissioned to celebrate both the 250th anniversary of the USA, as well as Trump’s 80th birthday.

Every fight on the show delivered, with all seven ending inside the distance. None, though, could match the drama of the main event. In a massive upset, Gaethje defeated Topuria via TKO at the end of the fourth round.

Justin Gaethje Stunned Ilia Topuria at the White House

Topuria had endured huge punishment across the previous 20 minutes and was revealed to have suffered two broken orbital bones as a result of the blows he absorbed from the American.

However, things didn’t always look good for ‘The Highlight’ was was badly hurt in the second round after being caught by Topuria with a perfectly-timed body shot.

The 37-year-old looked in real trouble as he made his way back to his corner. The newly-released footage showed Gaethje struggling on his stool, before it cut to Trump speaking to UFC CEO White while sat in the front row.

Donald Trump’s Reaction During Topuria vs Gaethje

Amber Searls via Imagn Images

While the majority of the 4,300 people in attendance on the South Lawn were worried about Gaethje’s chances in the fight from that point, Trump wasn’t among them.

He turned to Dana and remarked: “The one thing with Gaethje. He recovers.”

Within just a few minutes, Trump was proven right. Justin made a major breakthrough as he floored Topuria with a body shot of his own. From that moment on, the adopted Spaniard was never the same.

By the end of the fourth, Topuria’s corner had seen enough and pulled their man out of the contest. Gaethje was delighted with the biggest victory of his career and celebrated by sommersaulting off the edge of the Octagon back down to the mat.

In the closing seconds of the video, Trump referred to the fight as “the greatest I’ve ever seen.” However, even though UFC Freedom 250 was one of the best events in UFC history, Dana White has insisted that he will never host another fight card at the White House.

Citing the sheer expense of staging the event, which is believed to have cost over $60 million, White declared:

“It was an amazing, experience. This was a one-of-one. It will never happen again.”