Mateus Fernandes, Alex Scott, Elliot Anderson: Where midfield targets rank on Man United's list

Mateus Fernandes and Alex Scott are high on the shortlist at Manchester United as they eye alternatives to Elliot Anderson.

Anderson looks increasingly likely to join Man City if they can meet Nottingham Forest's British-record valuation, with United having pulled out of the race.

Alongside their pursuit of Atalanta star Ederson, the Red Devils have set their sights on at least two more Premier League stars whose fees may be more reasonable.

As I revealed on the latest edition of Football Insider's Transfer Insider podcast, both Fernandes and Scott are highly admired at Man United as they look down their list.

While not the only options on their radar, and with lofty fees set to be involved regardless, the pair are seen as more affordable than the Nottingham Forest star.

West Ham have set a lofty price tag on Fernandes, but may struggle to keep him after their relegation, while Bournemouth have previously shown willingness to sell.

Football Insider revealed on 12 June that Man United could sign Fernandes for a fee of around £70million, with clubs keeping an eye on his situation.

The West Ham star would be considered the more likely of the two as things stand given his skillset and likely availability, despite rival interest from elsewhere.

While Scott is highly thought of at United and across the Premier League's biggest clubs, it has been suggested he does not fit the profile of player they are looking for.

Speaking on the Transfer Insider podcast, I explained: "Forest are being pretty steadfast on what they want for Elliot Anderson. They want that British record fee of £125 million.

"Man United won’t be in contention to match those figures. The club have decided that they won't get into a bidding war with Manchester City.

"They will be looking further down their list of midfield targets instead, because Anderson wasn't the only player they were interested in.

"The deal for Ederson is pretty much agreed. And then obviously they have got interest in the likes of Mateus Fernandes and Alex Scott at Bournemouth as well.

"Both of them rank highly on United's shortlist and we know they wan't to strengthen in midfield, so they could well pivot their interest towards those two players.

"They will be more reasonable fees, you're probably looking at around £70million each for those two players if their clubs are willing to sell."

Despite increased focus on Fernandes and Scott, they are not the only options for United, who have a shortlist with a number of midfielders they want to sign.

The likes of Carlos Baleba of Brighton and Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton have been looked at by the recruitment team and remain firmly on their radar.

Meanwhile, former Man United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Sandro Tonali could be the top target after moving on from Anderson.

After Newcastle missed out on qualification for European football, the Italy international could be tempted to make the step up as he wants to play at the top level.

The 25-year-old is said to be eyeing a move away from St James' Park, with the likes of Arsenal and Man City also having been keeping a close eye on his situation.