Manchester United have been handed a significant boost in their pursuit of Borussia Dortmund and Germany World Cup star Felix Nmecha, with the midfielder reportedly approving an £86 million move to Old Trafford while rejecting interest from Newcastle United.
Nmecha's World Cup Performances
Nmecha, 25, has enjoyed a bright start to the World Cup in America, scoring in Germany's opening 7-1 win over Curacao and helping Julian Nagelsmann's side beat Group E rivals Ivory Coast. Germany suffered a surprise defeat to Ecuador in their final group game but still finished top of Group E to earn a last-32 clash with Paraguay. The midfielder was linked with a big summer move before the tournament, and his impressive performances in the United States have only increased interest.
Manchester United's Midfield Priority
Manchester United have made midfield their priority this summer, with Casemiro leaving at the end of the season and Manuel Ugarte linked with a move before his horror World Cup injury. Brazil international Ederson is set to become Michael Carrick's first United signing, but Old Trafford bosses want at least one more midfielder. Club legend Gary Neville backed United to sign Nmecha ahead of key target Mateus Fernandes earlier in the World Cup. 'The more he plays like he did the other night the more expensive he'll get,' Neville told ITV. 'But at the moment, we hear Manchester United are being quoted £100 million for the West Ham boy Fernandes, so they're going to have to be looking around this tournament and parts of Europe. He looked outstanding the other night, it looked like he had absolutely everything.'
Transfer Fee and Release Clause
Manchester United were subsequently quoted €100 million (£86 million) to sign Nmecha from Dortmund, despite the presence of a release clause in his current contract. Clubs will be able to sign Nmecha for £75.5 million once that clause is activated in the summer of 2027, before it drops to £60 million the following summer. The 25-year-old has been a mainstay at Dortmund over the past three seasons, making over 100 appearances for the German giants.
Newcastle United's Interest Rejected
Newcastle United entered the race to sign the Manchester City academy graduate over the weekend, with Eddie Howe keen to bolster his squad following a poor season. The Magpies are also targeting a new midfielder as Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes continue to be linked with moves away. However, German outlet Bild reports that Nmecha favours a move to Manchester United and is also open to a return to Manchester City, where he spent over a decade as a youth player. Real Madrid and Bayern Munich have also been linked with Nmecha, who made just three appearances for boyhood club City before being sold in 2021.
Expert Analysis
Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright praised Nmecha's abilities, saying: 'When you look at him he breaks lines, he gets into the box, he's got Kimmich to come in and fill in for him. He can play as a No.8 or No.10, we can see he can finish, you can see why teams are interested in him. He's got everything.'
