Tottenham Hotspur could inadvertently help Arsenal sign a Premier League player valued at as much as £63million who has impressed the Gunners' recruitment team
Arsenal stand to benefit from Tottenham Hotspur staying in the Premier League at West Ham United's expense should they attempt to sign Mateus Fernandes this summer.
football.london understands the Gunners are interested in Fernandes, who has impressed their recruitment team over recent seasons. The Portugal international joined Southampton from Sporting two years ago after barely getting a game in Lisbon, but soon became a regular in the Premier League.
An impressive debut season ended in relegation with the Saints and then West Ham signed him for around £40millon last summer. Despite being involved in another relegation battle this term, Fernandes continues to impress.
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West Ham dropping down to the second tier could lead to the midfielder bouncing back up even higher this time around, with Arsenal in the market for a midfielder. The Times reports that West Ham would have to sell Fernandes to comply with the Championship's financial framework.
The division's clubs have voted through new Squad Cost Rules (SCR). As a result, they will have to cap their spending to 85% of their income.
Owners are only allowed to inject an additional £15million across any one season. West Ham's revenue would decline significantly after any relegation, which could happen before the final day of the season.
The Hammers are two points adrift of safety with as many games to play. They visit Newcastle United today before hosting Leeds United next Sunday.
West Ham would already be down when the Whites travel to the London Stadium, though, if they do not win this weekend. Failing to beat Leeds would give Spurs a chance to secure safety by beating Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.
However, if Roberto De Zerbi's side do not earn all three points, it will go down to the final day, when they host Everton. West Ham can no longer catch Nottingham Forest, so only Spurs can save them.
As for Arsenal, their focus is understandably on the top of the table. However, what happens at the opposite end could take on greater importance this summer.
Fernandes signed a five-year contract with West Ham last summer, so he still has four seasons remaining on it. There reportedly is no standard release clause in the deal for a player whom the CIES Football Observatory values at up to £63million.
However, there are conflicting reports about such an option becoming active if they are a Championship club next season. Bypassing negotiations with West Ham would be ideal for the Gunners, especially given how their previous talks over signing Declan Rice cost them over £100million.