Tottenham Hotspur have won the race to sign Mateus Fernandes, bringing an end to one of the summer’s most closely watched transfer sagas after fending off stiff competition from Manchester United.
Fernandes’ future had been a major talking point for weeks, with Spurs and United going toe to toe while Real Madrid and PSG kept an eye on things from afar. For much of the window, it was suggested the West Ham midfielder had no real preference between the two and would simply end up wherever met the Hammers’ financial demands.
Tottenham tried a few different routes to get a deal done, including offering players as part of the package — Mikey Moore going to West Ham on loan was one option reportedly discussed. In the end, though, Spurs got it sorted by matching West Ham’s price outright.
David Ornstein reports Tottenham completed the signing after a guaranteed £85m offer was accepted, with Manchester United pulling back after deciding the fee and wages were more than they wanted to pay, choosing instead to look at other midfield options.
The deal makes Fernandes the most expensive player in Tottenham’s history, surpassing the £65m paid for Dominic Solanke in 2024, and reflects the Lewis family’s promise to heavily back the squad rebuild. In a recent letter to fans, the owners reaffirmed that football is their top priority, pledging major investment across the first team, academy and football operations while insisting there’s no plan to sell the club and that they remain committed to its future.
Fabrizio Romano soon followed with his trademark “Here We Go,” confirming Tottenham will pay a fully guaranteed £85m fee for the Portuguese midfielder.
Fernandes becomes Spurs’ fifth signing of the summer, joining Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul van Hecke and Martin Dubravka as De Zerbi’s rebuild continues.
