Manchester United and Arsenal are reportedly interested in signing West Ham United midfielder Mateus Fernandes, as per Spanish outlet Fichajes.
After joining Southampton from Sporting CP in 2024, the 21-year-old showed glimpses of his qualities last term, making nine goal contributions across all competitions.
Having been impressed by the youngster’s performances at St Mary’s Stadium, the Hammers decided to secure his services last summer following the Saints’ relegation.
This season, Fernandes has taken his game to another level, scoring four goals and registering as many assists in 38 appearances in all competitions.
Still, he couldn’t help the East London club survive relegation. So, speculation surrounding his future has started emerging ahead of the summer window.
Now, Fichajes state that after being attracted by Fernandes’ eye-catching performances this season, Man Utd have expressed their interest in signing him. They have monitored his development closely this season before making a potential swoop.
However, Arsenal are also keen on him, while Paris Saint-Germain have also registered their interest in him. So, he isn’t short of potential suitors.
Battle
Despite enduring relegation, West Ham have no intention of letting Fernandes leave for cheap and have slapped a whopping £80m price tag on his head.
Fernandes is a right-footed box-to-box midfielder by trait but is also efficient in the deep-lying playmaker position. Furthermore, he can provide cover in the creative midfield role if needed.
After displaying impressive performances this season, Casemiro is set to leave Man Utd for free this summer. Moreover, Manuel Ugarte could also be allowed to leave, having struggled to find regular game time since Michael Carrick’s arrival as the manager.
On the other hand, Arsenal are seemingly planning to sign a new midfielder as Christian Norgaard has failed to break into Mikel Arteta’s starting line-up since joining from Brentford last summer.
Fernandes is a highly talented player and possesses the potential to reach the top. So, he would be a great coup for Man Utd or Arsenal should either club purchase him.
However, it is going to be interesting to see whether the North London club or the Old Trafford club eventually manage to secure his services during the offseason.
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