Chelsea & Man Utd join race for 'new Angel Di Maria'

Cameron Smith

• 27 Sep 2024 10:30 CDT
• 3 min read

Chelsea and Manchester United are reportedly among the clubs interested in signing Velez Sarsfield youngster Thiago Fernandez.

The 20-year-old, who has been compared to former Real Madrid winger Angel Di Maria since his breakthrough onto the senior stage, has attracted significant Premier League interest over the past few months.

In fact, Chelsea, Man Utd, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion are all monitoring his progress, according to TBR Football, as they eye a possible move in 2025.

READ MORE: Chelsea dodged a €100m Lautaro Martinez bullet

Fernandez signed a contract extension at Velez back in April 2023, but his current deal is due to expire at the end of December 2025 and he is likely to be on the move next year as a result.

A move to England is deemed his most likely destination, as per TBR Football, although a clear favourite to sign the Argentina U23 international hasn’t yet appeared.

Fernandez made his senior debut for Velez against CA Colon in April 2023 and he has already amassed 36 first-team appearances for the Argentine outfit.

He has five goals and eight assists in 30 games so far this season, with Fernandez establishing himself as Velez’s first-choice left winger since the start of 2024.

READ MORE: 'Man Utd set to sack Erik ten Hag'

Erik ten Hag under pressure at Man Utd

Man Utd’s interest in Fernandez comes amid uncertainty surrounding Erik ten Hag’s future at the club.

The Dutchman was expected to depart this summer, but he signed a contract extension instead after guiding the Red Devils to FA Cup glory in May.

However, Man Utd are reportedly expected to sack Ten Hag soon, and FootballTransfers understands that Ruud van Nistelrooy is currently his most likely replacement.

The former Man Utd forward re-joined the club in a coaching capacity this summer, but we have been informed that he is set to succeed Ten Hag by 2026 at the latest.