West Ham United are reportedly interested in signing Southampton midfielder Mateus Fernandes, as per transfer expert Mike Brown.
The Hammers currently have Guido Rodríguez, Tomas Soucek, Edson Álvarez, and James Ward-Prowse as options for the midfield department.
However, Rodriguez displayed inconsistent performances in his debut campaign at the London Stadium. On the other hand, Lucas Paqueta is also capable of playing deep, but is a creative midfielder by trait.
Andy Irving is another option Graham Potter currently has at his disposal, but the Scottish struggled to find regular game time last campaign.
Now, on Football Insider, Brown says that Potter is willing to buy a new midfielder, and Fernandes is a player they like. Therefore, the Hammers could make a concrete approach to secure his service this summer.
The Portuguese has attracted a lot of attention; therefore, the East London club will have to seal the deal quickly to avoid missing out on him.
Brown said:
“West Ham have been looking at Fernandes from Southampton. There is no shortage of interest in Fernandes, though, so they may have to move quickly if they want to get ahead of these other clubs in for him. Graham Potter wants to strengthen his midfield, and if Fernandes is an option for them and would fit into his way of playing, it could work for them.”
Fernandes to West Ham
The 21-year-old joined the Saints from Sporting CP last summer. As a result, he currently has four years left in his existing deal. Therefore, Southampton are in no rush to sell him, even though they have lost their top-flight status.
They have been showing their resilience in the Tyler Dibling sale and are likely to do the same for Fernandes, who is valued at around £13m by Transfermarkt.
The youngster is a box-to-box midfielder by trait but is also capable of playing deeper or in the CAM role. He displayed glimpses of his potential in the Premier League last campaign but failed to help his side survive relegation.
Fernandes is a hardworking player and has an eye for long-range passing. Moreover, he is efficient in defensive contributions. He was a key player for Portugal in the U21 European Championship this summer, helping his country reach the quarterfinals.
He is a talented player and could be a shrewd acquisition for West Ham should they eventually manage to lure him away from St Mary’s Stadium before the end of this transfer window.
