Spurs transfer news has turned to Mateus Fernandes, with Tottenham Hotspur making enquiries in recent days while Manchester United still lead the race for the West Ham midfielder. The chase has tightened around a player who is only 21 and has already had to handle two relegations in successive seasons.
Manchester United Lead Chase
Manchester United have tracked him since before the end of the season and see him as a midfielder who could stay at the top level for another decade. At season's end, they thought they could get him for less than £60million.
That view now sits against West Ham's asking price of £80million-85million. West Ham signed him from Southampton for at least £38million a year ago, so they are looking to more than double their money.
West Ham Set the Price
The numbers are not just about a transfer fee. West Ham would also have to pass on 15% of any sale to Southampton, which raises the bar further for any club trying to complete a deal on the old valuation.
Daniel Kretinsky has already made clear that West Ham do not need a fire sale, and that stance fits the pricing. Fernandes has shone in a Southampton side that struggled badly and has done the same at West Ham despite only sporadic form around him.
Fernandes and the Big Six
Tottenham Hotspur are not alone. Manchester City and Liverpool have also been credited with an interest, which is why this has become one of the more crowded midfield races of the summer.
Simon Rusk, who worked with Fernandes at Southampton, described him to Sky Sports as having a "growth mindset" and said he can take on board new information quickly, "technically and tactically". That profile helps explain why clubs are willing to push the price, even if West Ham's valuation has already moved far beyond the level Manchester United once expected.
Whether Tottenham Hotspur move beyond enquiries to a formal bid for Mateus Fernandes is the next real test. Until then, West Ham hold the price, Manchester United hold the lead, and Fernandes holds the leverage of being the midfielder every major bidder wants to pin down.
