Manchester United have expressed interest in signing Portuguese international midfielder Mateus Fernandes from West Ham United next summer, according to the Telegraph.
The 21-year-old made an immediate impact in England after arriving from Sporting in the summer of 2024. Despite Southampton’s relegation in his first campaign, his displays for the Saints earned him a move to West Ham last summer.
The youngster has established himself as one of the standout young midfielders in the league since his move to the London Stadium, where he has featured in 39 games across all competitions while providing nine goal contributions.
His performances, despite the Hammers’ struggling season, earned him a first international call-up to the Portugal national team during last March’s international break, where he made his debut in the 2-0 win over the United States.
With West Ham sitting in 18th place and relegation fears looming, several key players are tipped to depart the club should they be relegated, and Fernandes is among those likely to leave amid interest from several top clubs.
One of the clubs looking to sign Fernandes is Man Utd, according to the Telegraph, which claims that the 13-time Premier League champions have expressed interest in signing the combative midfielder next summer.
The report adds that the 21-year-old is being discussed by several clubs, including the Red Devils, who have intensified their interest in the youngster after closely watching him in the ongoing campaign.
United plot Fernandes swoop
Amid United’s interest, West Ham will have a tough battle to retain Fernandes even if they stay up, and they’ll be looking to sell him for a significantly higher amount than they bought him in the summer, the Telegraph adds.
Fernandes’s overall statistics per game and in total this season have placed him among the league’s best-performing midfielders.
In possession, he has a total of 87.6% successful passes and 59.1% successful dribbles so far this campaign. Off the ball, he is equally impressive, having recorded 5.98 tackles per game, 5.46 ball recoveries per game and a sky-high 10.95 defensive contributions per game this season.
With Casemiro set to depart at the end of the season, along with Manu Ugarte’s underwhelming performances, Fernandes would be a solid option to step into United’s midfield next summer as part of their rebuild.
However, the Portuguese won’t come cheaply, as West Ham will likely demand a fee well above his £30m Transfermarkt valuation, especially with four more years left on his contract.
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