One of the summerâs biggest transfer sagas appears to be nearing a conclusion, with Tottenham Hotspur set to beat Manchester United to the £85 million (â¬98 million, $112 million) signing of West Ham Unitedâs Mateus Fernandes.
The Hammers were relegated after a disastrous 2025â26 campaign, but Fernandes was hugely impressive in midfield and earned a Premier League Young Player of the Season nomination. The 21-year-oldâs displays attracted suitors from across the Premier League and beyond, with United and Arsenal leading the early race before Spurs jumped into the fold.
After weeks of see-saw speculation, The Athletic report Tottenham have outbid their competitors with a staggering £85 million (â¬98 million, $112 million) offer, adhering to West Hamâs demands that turned off United, who were not willing to pay such a high fee for the Portugal international.
The £85 million is said to be a guaranteed fee, and Fernandes, who tallied four goals and four assists when playing in every Premier League game last season, ultimately made the decision to join Roberto De Zerbiâs project in north London.
How Fernandes Fits at Tottenham Hotspur
On paper, Tottenham might not seem like the most glamorous destination for Fernandes. Spurs barely fended off relegation last season, finishing 17th in the Premier League for the second season in a row.
De Zerbi also already has a handful of midfield options, including Conor Gallagher, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Matar Sarr, Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall. The latter has expressed his desire to leave the club, but recent reports claim Tottenham has no intention of selling the Sweden international.
Yves Bissouma, though, is leaving as a free agent, while Joao Palhinha returned to Bayern Munich after his loan spell ended.
Fernandes, who still has four years left on his contract with West Ham, is expected to slot right into De Zerbiâs midfield, where he can show off his versatility, playmaking and impressive passing range. He also is not afraid to do the dirty work in midfield, and comes with an extremely high work rate.
Despite Spursâ woes over the last two years, making the move to north London is a massive step for Fernandes, who has spent much of his time in England starring for underwhelming teams.
Now set to play under the lights at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the young midfielder will be under pressure to help the club get back to its standards and truly re-establish itself as one of the Premier Leagueâs âBig Six.â
WIN FIFA WORLD CUP 2026⢠FINAL TICKETS & OTHER PRIZES
Man Utdâs Next Steps After Opting Against Big Bid
United came into the summer transfer window in the market for midfield reinforcements after Casemiro left Old Trafford as a free agent this summer. The Red Devils have already agreed a deal for Atalanta midfielder Ãdersonâwhich is not yet finalizedâbut they also had their sights set on Fernandes.
Losing out on the Portugal international, as well as Manchester City bound Elliot Anderson, forces United to turn back to the drawing board in search of another midfielder to join Kobbie Mainoo in the engine room.
Crystal Palaceâs Adam Wharton, Newcastle Unitedâs Sandro Tonali or Brighton & Hove Albionâs Carlos Baleba have been linked, but affording a deal has been complicated by the fact Manuel Ugarte, who was a player United hoped to offload this summer, suffered a knee ligament injury in Uruguayâs 1â0 defeat to Spain at the 2026 World Cup.
He is expected to be out for a minimum of nine months, with a future sale likely to come at a reduced price.
READ THE LATEST MAN UTD NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FC