One of the major dominoes of this summer transfer window is about to fall. West Ham United midfielder Mateus Fernandes, 21, is set to join Tottenham Hotspur. According to Sky Sports, Fernandes “is now preparing to undergo a medical.” This more than just a major signing for Tottenham; it’s record breaking.
Once the medical is done, the paperwork signed and the deal finalized, it will break the club record for a transfer fee acquisition, far surpassing the £65m the North Londoners paid to AFC Bournemouth for Dominic Solanke in August of 2024.
Fernandes was also a top target of Manchester United this summer, so this deal will dramatically change the direction of their summer window as well. According to The Athletic, United just simply got out-bid for the Portugese international. The current club brass at Old Trafford wanted him, but only at the valuatuion that they deemed fair.
United were not willing to overpay, and thus, we must wait further to see their first acquisition of this summer transfer window.
The transfer battle between United and Tottenham for Mateus Fernandes got grown a tad protracted, so it’s refreshing to see it near its conclusion now.
Tottenham have been exceedingly busy in this first month of the window, signing former Liverpool defender Andy Robertson, former Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi and ex-Newcastle and Burnley goalkeeper Martin Dubravka on free transfers. This goes along with the £52m they paid to Brighton for defender Jan Paul van Hecke.
So the spending spree for these two players comes to £137m, and they’re not done yet. The pursuit of Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali continues.
Tottenham will no doubt have to unload a bunch of players this summer, to balance out all the new ones they acquired. Meanwhile United will move on to new midfield targets. So other transfer dominoes will soon fall.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.” He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG.
His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.