Mateus Fernandes Draws Circling Clubs Warning From Joe Cole
Mateus Fernandes is already drawing transfer attention, and Joe Cole thinks West Ham may struggle to keep him if they stay up. The 21-year-old has gone from a slow start to a fan favourite, which has put his future back in focus as survival remains the priority.
Cole called Fernandes “a great player” and “a wonderful signing” when asked whether West Ham could keep him long term. He also said Fernandes is “a proper midfielder” and “an absolute dream,” praise that fits the way the midfielder has turned his early months into something more convincing.
Joe Cole on Fernandes
“He's a great player. He's been a wonderful signing.” Those were Cole’s first words on Fernandes, and he did not stop there. He described him as “a competitor,” “complete,” and a player who can “score a goal, make a goal, puts his foot in, works hard for the team.”
That profile matches the reason West Ham saw value in a £40 million fee. Fernandes has become a fan favourite because of his all-action style and spectacular strikes, even after a slow start at the club. The shift from early doubts to clear backing is part of why he now sits in the middle of a bigger transfer conversation.
West Ham and the £40 million fee
Fernandes joined Southampton from Sporting in 2024 and suffered relegation from the Premier League in his debut campaign in England. West Ham still judged the £40 million outlay to be value for money when they moved for him, which says plenty about how highly he is rated inside the game.
That interest has not stayed local. Manchester United are looking for midfield reinforcements, and Liverpool have been told Fernandes could be a shrewd addition to their squad. Cole’s warning was direct: “Where West Ham are at the moment, you've just got to put any of those things aside. It's all about survival.”
Survival first for Nuno
West Ham have four remaining fixtures in the 2025-26 season, and the table pressure leaves little room for transfer planning. Cole said that if West Ham “get over the line” and survive in the Premier League, Fernandes will be one they can build around in the future, but he added that “there'll be clubs circling for sure.”
For West Ham, that leaves the immediate task clear. Get the points needed to stay up, and the case for keeping Fernandes strengthens; fall short, and the conversation around a 21-year-old who has already attracted attention from Manchester United and Liverpool is likely to move quickly in another direction.
