Manchester United have been informed that Newcastle United have withdrawn from the race to sign Borussia Dortmund midfielder Felix Nmecha, according to a report in The Chronicle. Nmecha has been a key figure for Germany at the ongoing World Cup, contributing a goal and an assist in Group E matches against Curacao and Ivory Coast.
Both Manchester United and Newcastle had been linked with the 25-year-old as they seek to strengthen their midfield options this summer. BBC Sport has reported that United have prioritized midfield reinforcements, while Newcastle are considering their options with existing players Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali also subject to transfer speculation.
However, Sky Sports Germany reports that despite a release clause of €70million (£51.8m) existing in Nmecha’s contract, it is not active until the summer of 2027. Consequently, Borussia Dortmund are expected to demand a fee of around €100million (£87m) for Nmecha this summer, a figure Newcastle are unwilling to meet, as per The Chronicle. Eddie Howe, the Newcastle manager, is known to be an admirer of Nmecha, who has made 112 appearances for Dortmund since joining from Wolfsburg in 2023, scoring 13 goals.
Meanwhile, Manchester United are evaluating alternative midfield targets after missing out on Elliot Anderson, who is poised to join Manchester City for a club-record fee of €134million (£116m), as reported by BBC Sport. Tottenham Hotspur are also pursuing another United target, Mateus Fernandes, with West Ham United reportedly valuing the 21-year-old at around €92million (£80m) according to The Times. United are nearing the completion of a deal for Atalanta’s Brazil midfielder Ederson, with a fee of €40.5million (£35m) agreed, as reported by BBC Sport. Newcastle are focused on retaining Bruno Guimaraes, rejecting an approach from Arsenal and engaging in talks over a contract extension, according to The i Paper. Sandro Tonali is considered more likely to leave Newcastle than Guimaraes, with interest from Arsenal, Tottenham, and Manchester City.
