Tottenham have beaten Manchester United to the signing of West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes.
Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United have remained locked in negotiations with West Ham United over the transfer of midfielder Mateus Fernandes.
Mateus Fernandes has become a key target for Tottenham and Manchester United, despite going down with West Ham last season. Spurs have been pushing to sign the Portuguese talent, who was one of the rare bright spots in a dismal campaign for the Hammers. The 21-year-old supplied four goals and three assists in 36 league outings in his second season in English football.
A new update on the future of Fernandes has been delivered by one of England’s reputable journalists, and it is great news for Roberto De Zerbi and our fans.
Tottenham beat Manchester United to Mateus Fernandes’ signing
According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, Tottenham have won the race for Fernandes. We have made the highest offer to West Han, understood to be worth an £85 million guaranteed fee, and West Ham have accepted it. The player has turned down a move to Manchester United to become a part of De Zerbi’s Spurs.
Man United have been particularly keen to follow up their signing of Atalanta star Ederson with another top-class midfielder. Fernandes was Michael Carrick’s top midfield target, but Tottenham have now beaten the Red Devils to the race for the youngster’s signing. The North Londoners have agreed a club-record deal for the rising Portuguese talent, and the report adds that United were not prepared to break the bank for him.
Tottenham’s willingness to outbid United for Fernandes shows ENIC’s ambition in this transfer window. The West Ham man was identified as one of the primary midfield targets by De Zerbi at the start of June, and ENIC have done a wonderful job to land him. The Red Devils’ reluctance to meet the Hammers’ exorbitant asking price allowed Spurs to launch a hijack for the Sporting CP academy graduate.
If a deal is completed, Fernandes will become our club’s record signing, eclipsing Dominic Solanke’s £65m move from Bournemouth in the summer of 2024. The one-cap Portuguese international will become Tottenham’s fifth signing of the summer, with Martin Dubravka, Andy Robertson and Marco Senesi arriving as free agents and Jan Paul van Hecke joining from Brighton & Hove Albion for £52m.
The chance to play regularly, develop under De Zerbi, become a part of his exciting project and help our club get back to the grand stage of the Champions League turned out to be a more powerful draw for Fernandes than joining Carrick’s United.