Tottenham Hotspur look set to sign Mateus Fernandes from West Ham, having fended off interest from Manchester United.
Tottenham Hotspur have the perfect welcoming gift for Mateus Fernandes. The Lilywhites have beaten Manchester United in the race to sign the West Ham star as Roberto De Zerbi looks to bolster his options in the middle of the park.
football.london understands that Spurs have reached an agreement with the Hammers to sign Fernandes in a deal worth around £85m. Tottenham faced tough competition from the Red Devils in the race for the 21-year-old, who's now set to undergo a medical before putting pen to paper on a long-term contract.
While medical staff give Fernandes the once-over and Johan Lange pulls together the paperwork, De Zerbi will be working hard to ensure he's given a warm welcome. The Portugal international, who was left at home by Roberto Martinez for the World Cup, could quickly become a fan favourite if he follows in the footsteps of Harry Kane.
Although Fernandes won't be expected to score as many goals as the Lilywhites legend, especially from midfield, he could be given his former shirt, the number 18, which is etched into Premier League history. In 2014/15, wearing that very jersey, Kane scored over 20 goals in a domestic campaign for the first time in his senior career.
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He found the net 21 times in the English top-flight, establishing himself as one of the best strikers in the world for years to come. The following season, Kane was rewarded with the number 10 shirt, which he made his own until 2023, when he left Tottenham to join Bayern Munich in a deal worth £100m.
With the number 18 available, Fernandes has the chance to pay homage to the former Spurs captain – and for good reason, too. The Portuguese playmaker donned the shirt at Southampton in 2024/25 and then again at West Ham in 2025/26.
He also wore the number 18 for Portugal's Under-21 and Under-19 teams. Fernandes previously wore numbers seven, 10, and 17 during his time at the Sporting CP academy, but at Tottenham, they're currently worn by Xavi Simons, James Maddison, and Cristian Romero, respectively.
Interestingly, Fernandes grew up idolising Bruno Fernandes, who famously donned the number 18 shirt during his first three years at Manchester United. Speaking to CNN Portugal in 2024, the Spurs target recalled the time he first saw his fellow countryman in the flesh.
"I remember one time when we [Sporting] were playing against Benfica, Under-16s," said Fernandes, who wore the number eight shirt on his senior international debut earlier this year. "I'll always have that moment in my memory.
"He [Bruno Fernandes] was off the field. That is, we were playing on one field, and he was on the other field watching the game. I don't know if it was him and Nuno Mendes, and I remember seeing him and, suddenly, starting to assert myself on the field, yelling at everyone, just so he would notice.
"I don't know if he remembers that moment, but it's something that stuck in my memory."
Then, in an interview with A Bola in March 2026, Fernandes described the Red Devils skipper as his role model. He said: "The biggest one right now is Bruno [Fernandes] because of the player he already is.
"Back when I was at Sporting, I looked up to him and tried to learn from him. He plays in the same league as me, he has a lot of experience with the national team, and in the Premier League, I try to watch him a lot. Without a doubt, he stands out."