Mateus Fernandes - Player Thread
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I agree, just showing what the logic behind their ask is - I'd pay £55-60 mill for him
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Then that will all depend on their owner and their financial status - his owner is massively wealthy, but the club must be on dodgy financial ground as far as UEFA is concerned.
If they pull it off, I'd be surprised, only in as much he was said to have bigger ambitions. But anything everything changes when big money is under your nose...
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Done. What's next?
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Tonali.
Spammers have given their permission for him to have a medical at Tottenham, Ali Gold on his video update tonight .
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Tottenham win race for Mateus Fernandes in £85m deal
Spurs have made the highest offer to West Ham — believed to be worth a £85million (€98m, $112m) guaranteed fee — and the 21-year-old has decided to join them. Julian Finney/Getty Images
By David Ornstein
June 30, 2026 Updated 8:02 pm GMT+1
Tottenham Hotspur have won the race for West Ham United midfielder Mateus Fernandes.
Spurs have made the highest offer to West Ham — believed to be worth a £85million (€98m, $112m) guaranteed fee, according to multiple sources briefed on the deal — and the 21-year-old has decided to join them.
The Portugal international has attracted interest from multiple clubs, including Manchester United, but is now set to move to north London after West Ham stood firm on their valuation.
For United, the transfer fee and the player’s salary went higher than they were willing to pay, and they will now shift their focus to other targets after seeing success from remaining patient in the window last summer.
Fernandes was one of West Ham’s standout performers during a difficult 2025-26 campaign, making 36 league appearances, scoring three goals and providing four assists. His West Ham contract has another four years to run, having joined from Southampton for around £38m in August 2025.
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If completed, Fernandes will become Spurs’ fourth signing of the summer, with Andy Robertson and Marco Senesi arriving as free agents and Jan Paul van Hecke joining from Brighton & Hove Albion for £52m.
He will join a deep Tottenham midfield that includes Conor Gallagher, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Matar Sarr, Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall, though the Sweden international has informed the club of his desire to seek a new challenge elsewhere. Yves Bissouma will officially leave the club when is contract expires at the end of this month, while Joao Palhinha’s loan spell has concluded and a permanent deal has not yet been agreed.
Fernandes made his senior debut against the United States in April 2026, although he was subsequently left out of Roberto Martinez’s squad for the World Cup.
A move to Spurs will see Fernandes join his third English club in the last two years. He made 36 appearances for Southampton, scoring twice and providing four assists, after arriving from Sporting CP in the summer of 2024. Southampton were relegated at the end of that season, the same fate West Ham suffered a year later.
Fernandes move represents a new Spurs
Analysis by Tottenham correspondent Jay HarrisSpurs have made a few eye-catching moves this summer but signing Fernandes would truly signal they have entered a new era.
Tottenham’s current club-record signing is the £65million they paid Bournemouth for striker Dominic Solanke in August 2024. Throwing their weight around to sign Fernandes for £85m ahead of their rivals would never have happened during Daniel Levy’s 24-year spell as executive chairman. Spurs are showing a ruthlessness and efficiency in the transfer market which was rarely seen under Levy who preferred to wait until the end of the window to complete deals and was reluctant to overspend on fees and wages.
Spurs have retooled their defence over the last few weeks with the signings of Van Hecke, Senesi and Robertson. Now, their attention has turned to central midfield, which has caused them problems for several years. Conor Gallagher’s arrival in January provided them with much-needed experience and the capture of Fernandes would inject extra quality.
Spurs had a lot of creativity issues last season, partially with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski suffering serious knee injuries and missing most and the whole campaign respectively. Fernandes created 37 chances in the Premier League during 2025-26, which was more than any other Spurs player apart from full-back Pedro Porro (53). The 21-year-old has demonstrated over the last two seasons with Southampton and West Ham respectively that he is capable of influencing games at this level, and he should keep developing.
Apart from winning the Europa League in 2025, the last two seasons have been miserable for Spurs. Their bullish and ambitious activity in the transfer market so far suggests they are heading in a positive direction under De Zerbi.
steveperryman
Vital Football Legend
I'm sorry but he's the one i wanted to see out of all the players we were linked with. As talented as he is he's not an 85m player... yet!
steveperryman
Vital Football Legend
I did say the club wouldn't see much change out of 200m for the pair but i've got to ask. Is he worth it?
sldspurs
Vital Football Hero
If we r 17th again by Xmas then none are worth it
Spursex
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'yet..' being the operative word. Most thought paying £100mil for rice was madness 0 how he's being talked of being more like a £150mill player now.
Transfer value inflation puts real World inflation to shame, but the same principle applies, too much money chasing too little quality product.
It's the owners that have the problem, not the fans.
Personally, I think being an owner is most of the time a sign of madness; or mental illness or onset of dementia...or of course an ego that cannot be satisfied.
So you have to ask what category do the Lewis's now fall in?
Coerced , panicked , embarrassed, shamed , artless, ( not heartless, did you see what I did there?),
I have no feelings for them at all, they royally fucked this club ,almost to relegation , by relying on running players into the ground instead of a steady upgrade six monthly , then blaming the various managers and the various board members ..
The public display of affection they showed at the start of last season soon evaporated as they scurried about in their elevated west stand thrones
Littlest Hobo
Vital 1st Team Regular
I wont believe this is done until i see the official welcome message. However its looking good. With Gallacher and Bents (Rejuvinated under RDZ) and Gray and Bergval i think we might just be able to compete in the middle of the park now.
I repeat to others, this is not OUR money. Its our owners money and the clubs money. The club is valued at multi BILLIONS so we deserve to have expenditure to match. If this is what is needed to compete then they need to spend it or get out of the club.
Please please please dont let this transfer fail.
I repeat to others, this is not OUR money. Its our owners money and the clubs money. The club is valued at multi BILLIONS so we deserve to have expenditure to match. If this is what is needed to compete then they need to spend it or get out of the club.
Please please please dont let this transfer fail.
Who was it that said , “give us the tools and we will do the job”
That’s exactly what RDZ is saying
That’s exactly what RDZ is saying
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West Ham were expecting a bid from manure - they pulled out, and so they're selling before we change our mind. As long as he gets through the medical, this deal will get done.
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Last season, Fernandes proved his status as one of the Premier League's toughest tacklers and it's a feature that stands out for those who know him.
Fernandes sits in the top 10 Premier League midfielders for distance covered. And again, it follows the same pattern: if Anderson is the best first-choice option on the market, then Fernandes is pretty much the next best option available.
It wasn't always the plan when Fernandes was signed by Southampton; he was seen by Russell Martin as a more advanced option.
"He was used as a little bit more as a No 10, a little bit more of an advanced role," he says. "But when I spoke to Matty through conversations with him, quite apparently, he saw himself as more of an all-round midfield player, more of a No 8.
"And that would lend himself to the defensive side of the game. What Matty wanted to do, he wanted to run. He wanted to be involved in the game as much as possible.
"But certainly, looking at his performances at West Ham this year, he certainly moved forward in terms of his game intelligence and mixed in with his strength, his tenacity and his engine."
West Ham noticed that desire for Fernandes to play slightly deeper too - using him mainly as a hybrid option between a No 6 and a No 8 in the season just gone.
Fernandes sits in the top 10 Premier League midfielders for distance covered. And again, it follows the same pattern: if Anderson is the best first-choice option on the market, then Fernandes is pretty much the next best option available.
It wasn't always the plan when Fernandes was signed by Southampton; he was seen by Russell Martin as a more advanced option.
"He was used as a little bit more as a No 10, a little bit more of an advanced role," he says. "But when I spoke to Matty through conversations with him, quite apparently, he saw himself as more of an all-round midfield player, more of a No 8.
"And that would lend himself to the defensive side of the game. What Matty wanted to do, he wanted to run. He wanted to be involved in the game as much as possible.
"But certainly, looking at his performances at West Ham this year, he certainly moved forward in terms of his game intelligence and mixed in with his strength, his tenacity and his engine."
West Ham noticed that desire for Fernandes to play slightly deeper too - using him mainly as a hybrid option between a No 6 and a No 8 in the season just gone.
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Unfortunately for Fernandes, it has not quite worked out in terms of team success. Back-to-back relegations have tarnished the growing career of a promising midfield talent.
But despite the difficult contexts he's been trusted with, Fernandes has remained a positive influence on the dressing room wherever he has gone.
"He was a fantastic lad to work with," adds Rusk. "I think he was mentally tough, but he'd be hurt. I could see how much it hurt him, the relegation at Southampton.
"And I'm sure he'll be hurting again with being part of a relegation at West Ham. But, his character, he will use that as fuel.
"It will only make him a stronger, better player. It's not necessarily what happens to you, it's what meaning you apply to it. And I think for Matty, he's got a growth mindset.
"He's got an unbelievably excellent attitude towards becoming better. So he can only use this as being better."
All these attributes helped convince multiple managers - including Rusk, Russell Martin, Graham Potter and Nuno Espirito Santo - that Fernandes is a player worth sticking with, even at his tender age.
Since moving to the Premier League aged 19, Fernandes has started all but four of the top-flight games he's been available for. Two of those matches were his first two appearances in the competition, one was due to suspension and the other saw him score off the bench away at Leeds last season.
"You're looking at a 20-year-old, he's landed in the Premier League and plays week in, week out," says Rusk. "He's instantly gained the trust of everyone in the building.
"And one thing you can't underestimate as well with a young player, he moved to a new country, new environment, different language, the predominant language. And he was able to deal with all of those things and seamlessly become a regular starter in the Premier League.
"There was a level of maturity about him without any shadow of a doubt. Single-minded, but really good to work with - and very respectful. And all of those ingredients lend themselves to someone developing and becoming a better player."
What has helped Fernandes settle in is the player's ability to learn new information quickly - which will bode him well as he prepares for a third summer move in three years.
"I've worked with a lot of players where they've got an unbelievable raw talent, but maybe less coachable in terms of how they're willing to absorb information," says Rusk. "But Matty was, from that point of view, a dream to work with."
Rusk saw that firsthand during his time working with Fernandes at Southampton.
When the Saints visited Spurs in April 2025, Rusk - who was part of the Saints backroom staff at the time - worked with the midfielder for a couple of days on making late runs into the box, in a bid to stifle Ange Postecoglou's high line.
Fernandes ended up scoring in that game via a late run into the box. In a game remembered for Southampton suffering the earliest Premier League relegation in history, there were signs of a future gem in the works.
"The best players I've worked with, they learn quick. You tell them something and the penny drops quite quickly," Rusk says.
"And that Tottenham game, we only had a day or two working on the timing of his runs into the box and he arrived with a goal late with what we'd worked on.
"It was another bit of reinforcement where I thought: 'yeah, you've got a real chance of going on to great things here.'
"I've benchmarked it against a lot of the players that have gone on to playing right at the top of the game: international football, Champions League, Premier League football. They were very resilient, they were very single-minded and they learn quick. And I definitely put Matty in that bracket."
And speaking of goals, that is one area where Fernandes could improve. He got five goals and five assists for West Ham last season - which is not bad for a team who ended up being relegated.
But as Rusk says: "If he applies goals, then you're probably moving towards a complete midfielder." All of a sudden, the interest in Fernandes starts to make sense.
But despite the difficult contexts he's been trusted with, Fernandes has remained a positive influence on the dressing room wherever he has gone.
"He was a fantastic lad to work with," adds Rusk. "I think he was mentally tough, but he'd be hurt. I could see how much it hurt him, the relegation at Southampton.
"And I'm sure he'll be hurting again with being part of a relegation at West Ham. But, his character, he will use that as fuel.
"It will only make him a stronger, better player. It's not necessarily what happens to you, it's what meaning you apply to it. And I think for Matty, he's got a growth mindset.
"He's got an unbelievably excellent attitude towards becoming better. So he can only use this as being better."
All these attributes helped convince multiple managers - including Rusk, Russell Martin, Graham Potter and Nuno Espirito Santo - that Fernandes is a player worth sticking with, even at his tender age.
Since moving to the Premier League aged 19, Fernandes has started all but four of the top-flight games he's been available for. Two of those matches were his first two appearances in the competition, one was due to suspension and the other saw him score off the bench away at Leeds last season.
"You're looking at a 20-year-old, he's landed in the Premier League and plays week in, week out," says Rusk. "He's instantly gained the trust of everyone in the building.
"And one thing you can't underestimate as well with a young player, he moved to a new country, new environment, different language, the predominant language. And he was able to deal with all of those things and seamlessly become a regular starter in the Premier League.
"There was a level of maturity about him without any shadow of a doubt. Single-minded, but really good to work with - and very respectful. And all of those ingredients lend themselves to someone developing and becoming a better player."
What has helped Fernandes settle in is the player's ability to learn new information quickly - which will bode him well as he prepares for a third summer move in three years.
"I've worked with a lot of players where they've got an unbelievable raw talent, but maybe less coachable in terms of how they're willing to absorb information," says Rusk. "But Matty was, from that point of view, a dream to work with."
Rusk saw that firsthand during his time working with Fernandes at Southampton.
When the Saints visited Spurs in April 2025, Rusk - who was part of the Saints backroom staff at the time - worked with the midfielder for a couple of days on making late runs into the box, in a bid to stifle Ange Postecoglou's high line.
Fernandes ended up scoring in that game via a late run into the box. In a game remembered for Southampton suffering the earliest Premier League relegation in history, there were signs of a future gem in the works.
"The best players I've worked with, they learn quick. You tell them something and the penny drops quite quickly," Rusk says.
"And that Tottenham game, we only had a day or two working on the timing of his runs into the box and he arrived with a goal late with what we'd worked on.
"It was another bit of reinforcement where I thought: 'yeah, you've got a real chance of going on to great things here.'
"I've benchmarked it against a lot of the players that have gone on to playing right at the top of the game: international football, Champions League, Premier League football. They were very resilient, they were very single-minded and they learn quick. And I definitely put Matty in that bracket."
And speaking of goals, that is one area where Fernandes could improve. He got five goals and five assists for West Ham last season - which is not bad for a team who ended up being relegated.
But as Rusk says: "If he applies goals, then you're probably moving towards a complete midfielder." All of a sudden, the interest in Fernandes starts to make sense.
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In my mind, I fully accept that we're paying massively over the odds for him, but clearly we believe he will kick on - and who wouldn't pay £65 mill + add ons (what I'm told it's closer to) for Bruno Fernandez now?
It's a huge risk, but then when you spend big, when wasn't it?
It's a huge risk, but then when you spend big, when wasn't it?
