Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly secured a major transfer breakthrough after reaching an agreement to sign Mateus Fernandes in a deal worth £85 million, beating both Manchester United and Real Madrid to the highly-rated midfielder.
The Portuguese international has been one of Spurs’ top priorities throughout the summer transfer window, with personal terms understood to have been agreed some time ago as negotiations between the clubs progressed smoothly.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has now delivered his famous “here we go” confirmation after David Ornstein of The Athletic revealed the deal had been completed, with Spurs paying £85 million to secure the midfielder’s services.
Fernandes arrives after an impressive campaign with West Ham, where his calmness in possession, intelligent passing, and relentless work rate made him one of the standout performers despite a challenging season for the club, and also earned him a place in Portugal’s senior national team setup.
According to Spanish journalist Mario Cortegana of The Athletic, Real Madrid had been closely monitoring Fernandes, with José Mourinho a big admirer of the 21-year-old, but the Spanish giants were unwilling to match Tottenham’s club-record bid, ultimately reducing the race to Spurs and Manchester United.
Fernandes fits perfectly into Roberto De Zerbi’s plans for a midfield that can dictate possession and progress the ball through the lines, and if completed, the move would make him Tottenham’s fifth major signing of the summer, joining Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul van Hecke, and Martin Dúbravka.
