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Tottenham have agreed a deal to sign Mateus Fernandes from West Ham.
The fee is understood to be £85m, and the player is now preparing to undergo a medical.
That figure would smash Tottenham's transfer record, which was a £65m deal for Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth in August 2024.
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Manchester United were also pursuing Fernandes, and pushed hard to sign him, but they will only buy players at the right valuation.
If completed, the deal will easily surpass Tottenham's transfer record, which was the £65m they paid for Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth in August 2024.
Decision-makers inside West Ham believe Fernandes was one of the best young players in the Premier League last season and has the potential to become as good as Declan Rice, who was sold to Arsenal for £105m in 2023.
Analysis: Relegated twice - so why is Fernandes worth £85m?
Sky Sports' Sam Blitz:
Last season, Fernandes proved his status as one of the Premier League's toughest tacklers and it's a feature that stands out for those who know him.
"That's no surprise that his tackling stats are very high," Simon Rusk, who worked with Fernandes at Southampton, tells Sky Sports.
"Both speaking to him and observing him, I could see that would be a feature in his game - and a strength."
Alongside the tough-tackling nature is a lot of high-intensity running to get to the challenge in the first place.
Fernandes sits in the top 10 Premier League midfielders for distance covered. And again, it follows the same pattern: if Anderson is the best first-choice option on the market, then Fernandes is pretty much the next best option available.
It wasn't always the plan when Fernandes was signed by Southampton; he was seen by then boss Russell Martin as a more advanced option.
"He was used as a little bit more as a No 10, a little bit more of an advanced role," he says. "But when I spoke to Matty through conversations with him, quite apparently, he saw himself as more of an all-round midfield player, more of a No 8.
"And that would lend himself to the defensive side of the game. What Matty wanted to do, he wanted to run. He wanted to be involved in the game as much as possible.
"But certainly, looking at his performances at West Ham this year, he certainly moved forward in terms of his game intelligence and mixed in with his strength, his tenacity and his engine."
West Ham noticed that desire for Fernandes to play slightly deeper too - using him mainly as a hybrid option between a No 6 and a No 8 in the season just gone.
Elliot Anderson's imminent £116m transfer to Manchester City from Nottingham Forest is expected to have a knock-on effect for other deals for midfielders in the transfer window.
As Sky Sports News told you in March, this summer was always going to be dominated by central midfielders, with a number of elite Premier League players expected to come onto the market.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham are still planning to make at least one addition in that position this summer, while Man City could yet sign another central midfielder after Anderson.
Man City agree £116m deal for Elliot Anderson
Better than Declan Rice? Why Anderson is worth so much
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Currently Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes, Mateus Fernandes and Alex Scott are being pursued by top Premier League clubs - and everyone involved has been keeping an eye on developments with Anderson.
The fee for the England star will help set the benchmark by which the valuations of other players are decided.
Will Tonali join Spurs?
Last week Spurs made an offer of almost £80m for Tonali that was knocked back immediately by Newcastle, who sold Anderson to Nottingham Forest for £35m two years ago.
Tonali is believed to be ready to sign for the North London club if the clubs can agree a deal, but Newcastle can point to the fact the Italian has three years to run on his contract and to the current £36m disparity in price with Anderson.
Sky Sports News has been told Tonali is keen to play for De Zerbi and a contract worth more than £275,000 per week would be ready and waiting for him to sign. City are also monitoring Tonali, who has also been on the lists at Arsenal and United.
City have been weighing up rivalling Spurs for Tonali alongside their move for Anderson. It remains to be seen if they will go for Tonali now the Anderson deal is wrapped up, with other factors - including departures - to consider.
Arsenal's Guimaraes interest
Arsenal have a long-term interest in Tonali but so far have not followed that up this summer and are exploring the conditions of a deal for his Newcastle team-mate, Guimaraes.
Contact has been made through intermediaries, and it is thought an informal proposal was rejected. Newcastle have not had any contact from Arsenal directly so far and do want to sell their captain, who has two years remaining on his contract.
Although Guimaraes, who turns 29 in November, is considered by many to be among the very best midfielders in the Premier League, his age means buying clubs may not be as willing to pay as much for him as some of the other players on the market this summer.
Will Spurs or Man Utd sign Fernandes?
Sky Sports News understands Spurs are willing to go as high as £85m for West Ham's Fernandes despite their relegation from the Premier League last season.
However, they could still face competition from Manchester United as they consider making an offer. It was understood that United previously valued Fernandes at £60m, but they may be prepared to go higher as they watch developments with other clubs closely.
United have already secured a deal for Ederson with Atalanta worth up to £39m, which is expected to be finalised after Brazil's World Cup campaign is over, but want to add at least one more and could sign a third if Manuel Ugarte is sold.
Scott wanted by Arsenal and Man Utd
Alex Scott at Bournemouth is another of their targets, and United – along with Arsenal – are considered the frontrunners as things stand.
Scott is perhaps not valued as highly as some of the previously mentioned players, but Bournemouth's stance that he is not for sale means it is likely that they would hold out for a big fee if one of the top clubs come calling.
Talks have already been held about a new deal, as Bournemouth hope Scott, who just missed out on the England World Cup squad, will continue under new boss Marco Rose. They also want to reward him financially after impressive performances last season.
The other midfielders that could move
Anderson's move will also see Forest target potentially two new midfielders, with interest in Spurs' Lucas Bergvall – who has told Spurs he wants to look for a new challenge – David Frattesi, Arne Engels and Hayden Hackney.
Chelsea and Liverpool are also on the lookout for new central midfielders along with Everton, Crystal Palace, Brentford, Brighton, Leeds, Sunderland and the three promoted sides. Newcastle may also need a replacement for Tonali if he leaves this summer.
Everton have had an approach knocked back by Middlesbrough for Hackney, while Leeds have had a bid rejected by Southampton for the promising Shea Charles as talks continue between the two clubs.
Abroad, big clubs like Real Madrid - who want to sign Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea - Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan are also likely to have an impact on the midfield market.
If Real Madrid manage to sign Fernandez from Chelsea, who value the midfielder at more than £100m, it remains to be seen what that could mean for Aurelien Tchouameni – on the list at Man Utd and others – or Eduardo Camavinga.
Atletico have agreed the terms of a deal for Joao Gomes at Wolves but have not yet followed through. They are also interested in Tijjani Reijnders at City, which may have a bearing on what City do next after signing Anderson. Mateo Kovacic also finds his future uncertain at the Etihad, while there could be interest, too, in Nico Gonzalez.
Other top midfield players potentially on the market in the Premier League are Carlos Baleba, Adam Wharton and Matt O'Riley. From the French league there are Lamine Kamara, Mamadou Sangare and Ayyoub Bouaddi, while in Italy there is Mandela Keita and Manu Kone as well as Frattesi.
Tottenham are considering making a bid for West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes, Sky Sports News understands, but could still face competition from Manchester United.
Both Premier League clubs are also keen on Bournemouth's Alex Scott, who is an Arsenal target.
Regarding Fernandes, Tottenham are understood to be willing to pay £85m for the Portugal international, who is keen to return to the Premier League following West Ham's relegation.
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Man Utd also remain interested in the 21-year-old and are considering whether to make a bid themselves.
United are previously understood to have valued the ex-Southampton player at around £60m, but may be prepared to offer more as they watch developments with other clubs closely.
The latest on the battle to sign Tonali
Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi is being ambitious with his midfield plans this summer.
They have already had a bid rejected by Newcastle for Sandro Tonali, worth almost £80m.
It remains to be seen if they return with another offer for him - and whether the club are trying to sign both the Italy international and Fernandes, or just one.
Manchester City also remain interested in Tonali regardless of their ongoing pursuit of Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson, while Arsenal have looked at the 26-year-old too.
Man Utd and Arsenal make Scott enquiries
Meanwhile, Man Utd, Arsenal and Tottenham are also keen on Bournemouth midfielder Scott.
United and Arsenal are both believed to have made an initial inquiry to Bournemouth, but the Cherries have made it clear they do not want to sell the 22-year-old.
Talks have been held about a new contract for the ex-Bristol City player, as the south-coast side hope Scott, who just missed out on the England World Cup squad, will continue under new boss Marco Rose.
Nevertheless, Scott remains in the mix of targets at the biggest clubs that want to sign a new midfielder this summer, and it remains to be seen if one of them comes in with a bid.
Djed Spence appeared to not shake hands with Thomas Partey before England's match against Ghana.
Not all handshakes were shown on live televised pictures, but shots have emerged on social media of the Spurs defender appearing to snub the 33-year-old.
All other England players appeared to shake hands with Partey.
Before the match, the FA gave no specific guidance to England's players for when they came face to face with Partey during the pre-match ceremony in Boston.
However, the expectation was that all of England's players would follow FIFA protocols and shake hands with each of their opponents, as they did against Croatia in Dallas last week.
Partey denies seven charges of rape and one count of sexual assault, relating to allegations by four different women between 2020 and 2022, and is due to stand trial next year. He is currently playing for Villarreal in Spain.
Sky Sports News understands that officials from the FA decided not to advise England's players about having any contact with Partey pre-match to avoid any perception they were pre-judging the criminal case.
Thomas Tuchel was asked about Spence in his post-match press conference after England's 0-0 draw with Ghana, but was advised against commenting by a media official.
Partey was absent from Ghana's opening World Cup game in Toronto last week, after Canadian officials denied him entry to the country. He was available to play against England in Boston in the second game because the US has granted him a visa.
The top stories and transfer rumours from Tuesday's newspapers...
PREMIER LEAGUE
Tottenham are targeting Marcus Rashford - but are not prepared to meet a £40m release clause - The i Paper
Spurs are also confident of landing £85m Sandro Tonali from Newcastle but the Italian may prefer Arsenal - Daily Mail
Man Utd are prepared to make a loss on £42m Manuel Ugarte and sell him this summer - The Sun
Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers is keen on a move to Premier League champions Arsenal - talkSPORT
Former Man City defender Martin Demichelis has been appointed RB Leipzig head coach - The Athletic
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WORLD CUP
Egypt were refused permission to fly direct to Seattle after their win over New Zealand in Vancouver in a bid to reduce travel before their final group game against Iran in the city on Saturday - The Sun
WSL
Women's Super League and WSL2 clubs can allow supporters to drink alcohol in view of the pitch from the 2026/27 season following an 18-month trial - The Athletic
Sweden midfielder Lucas Bergvall has asked to leave Tottenham Hotspur this summer.
The 20-year-old, who is currently with his country at the World Cup, has made the club aware of his wish to leave Spurs in search for a fresh start and concerns over regular first-team football.
Bergvall only played 112 minutes of football under Roberto De Zerbi, starting one of the Italian's six games in charge and featuring mainly as a substitute.
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He joined Spurs from Swedish club Djurgarden in the 2024 winter window and his contract runs until June 2031.
Before joining Spurs, Barcelona were interested in Bergvall but he chose Tottenham, despite holding talks with Deco.
Spurs are pushing for reinforcements in midfield, and had an £80m bid for Sandro Tonali rebuffed by Newcastle on Saturday.
De Zerbi's plans to rebuild Spurs
Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge:
Never again. That was the promise made by Tottenham chief executive Vinai Venkatesham and non-executive chairman Peter Charrington after narrowly avoiding relegation from the Premier League.
There was a lot of criticism aimed at the Spurs board and sporting director Johan Lange after a disappointing January transfer window which left the team looking slim. It looked even more slim when the injuries started to pile up.
The promise from the Spurs hierarchy is that they are going to be stronger and they are going to back Roberto De Zerbi, who they have wanted to bring to the club for a long time. Even Daniel Levy, who left as former executive chairman a year ago, wanted to hire De Zerbi.
Now they've finally got him, and after he pulled off the miracle of keeping Spurs up, they want to back him by signing the players he wants. Jan Paul van Hecke, who De Zerbi worked with at Brighton, has already been brought in for £52m.
Read full feature here
Tottenham's Premier League fixtures
Tottenham begin their 2026/27 Premier League season with a trip to Brentford on August 22, live on Sky Sports.
The Saturday 5.30pm kick-off at the Gtech Community Stadium will be the start of Roberto De Zerbi's first full season in charge of Spurs, who escaped relegation last season after a second consecutive 17th-placed finish.
Following the season-opening London derby, Tottenham host Newcastle in their first home game of the season on August 29.
Never again. That was the promise made by Tottenham chief executive Vinai Venkatesham and non-executive chairman Peter Charrington after narrowly avoiding relegation from the Premier League.
There was a lot of criticism aimed at the Spurs board and sporting director Johan Lange after a disappointing January transfer window which left the team looking slim. It looked even more slim when the injuries started to pile up.
The promise from the Spurs hierarchy is that they are going to be stronger and they are going to back Roberto De Zerbi, who they have wanted to bring to the club for a long time. Even Daniel Levy, who left as former executive chairman a year ago, wanted to hire De Zerbi.
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Now they've finally got him, and after he pulled off the miracle of keeping Spurs up, they want to back him by signing the players he wants. Jan Paul van Hecke, who De Zerbi worked with at Brighton, has already been brought in for £52m.
Under the previous regime, it would not have been a surprise to see Spurs walk away from such a deal with Brighton - who are tough negotiators - or perhaps wait until late in the window to get the price down and sign him at a discount of £5m.
Van Hecke may have just a year left on his contract, but now Spurs know he will be reporting for training after a short break following the World Cup and have time to bed in and get to know his new team-mates in pre-season, which makes a whole world of difference.
Moving quickly to sign players like Van Hecke - and giving them a chance to settle in - could be the difference between finishing 8th and 5th next season. Spurs and De Zerbi want to be ambitious. Here, Sky Sports News' Michael Bridge tells you exactly how:
Is De Zerbi in charge of transfers?
There is no such thing anymore at top clubs as having one person making all the decisions when it comes to recruitment, but De Zerbi is the most hands-on head coach for a while.
The Italian's pull has been a factor in Spurs' window so far. Van Hecke sees De Zerbi as a father figure and he chose to join Spurs. Sky Sports News was told that Van Hecke only wanted Spurs - that is the result of De Zerbi's presence.
Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi agreed to join Spurs months ago, dependent on them staying up - and that was before it was clear that things would pick up under De Zerbi. Both of those players come with great qualities, and they wanted Spurs.
Some Liverpool fans would have liked Robertson to stay at Anfield another year, while Senesi just won Players' Player of the Year at Bournemouth, who are about to embark on their first season in Europe. He is swapping that for no Europe at Spurs.
De Zerbi will have the final say and Spurs are prepared to back him with the players he wants. Van Hecke was one and they are hoping to sign some more high-profile players that suit De Zerbi, such as Sandro Tonali.
Sky Sports News reported Newcastle rejected an £80m bid for the player but the signing of Tonali remains a priority for De Zerbi.
Something else to note amid Spurs' strong interest in the player: Tonali is from the same region in Italy as the Spurs boss, Brescia, and the locals in that area consider each other family; everyone knows each other.
Which positions do Spurs want to add in?
It could be up to seven or eight signings for Spurs this summer. Midfield is a key area and that is why they are keen on Tonali.
De Zerbi wants to redo the whole midfield and add some forwards and potentially a goalkeeper.
The defensive signings should cover Spurs now. They have done their business there early and you can see with Van Hecke and Senesi that they are trying to improve the technical quality of the squad. That is a big priority for the summer.
Could Spurs sign Tonali and another big player?
Do not rule anything out right now. The move for Tonali is very ambitious. But that is exactly what Spurs' summer window plans are described as. They are ambitious and they are going to go for it.
Players like Tonali and Mateus Fernandes will be attracting interest from the top clubs. That will bring up memories for Spurs fans of the failures of last summer with Eberechi Eze and Morgan Gibbs-White. They were high-profile transfers for all the wrong reasons.
So, for the board and the hierarchy at the club, one of those high-profile transfers going their way this summer would be a huge boost. Man City are considering rivalling Spurs for Tonali, so if the north London club can get that deal over the line, it would be a signal of intent.
There are people outside the club who are scratching their heads right now, thinking, 'how on earth is a team that's finished 17th in back-to-back seasons still attracting top players?' Spurs have always been a draw and that does not seem to have changed.
Tottenham want to be dining at the top table. They were there or thereabouts under Mauricio Pochettino but the previous regime, while they might have paid the transfer fees, could not compete with their rivals in terms of wages because of the strict structure in place.
That, in large part, is why Spurs could not take that next step previously and have now dropped down a few levels compared to their rivals. You can see the squad is a lot weaker than it was four or five years ago.
The Lewis family have made a commitment to start offering wages in the top bracket. This held them back when trying to sign Bryan Mbeumo last summer. They did go higher with the package offered to Antoine Semenyo in January but he had already agreed to join Man City.
Where is the money coming from for Spurs' summer window?
Spurs may have been struggling of late but they are still ninth in Europe for revenue, according to the 2026 Deloitte Money League.
Other clubs that are questioning Spurs' spending now are clearly forgetting that in one summer window under Pochettino, not a single signing was made.
Sacrifices have been made in the past. Pochettino will probably be scratching his head seeing Tottenham's level of spending or intent to spend at the moment.
Another big revenue driver for Spurs, of course, is the stadium and the concerts, NFL games and other events that take place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Will sales be required this summer?
If Spurs are to pull off their dream summer window, it is expected that players will go. With no European football, the squad does not need to be so big because there are fewer games. The injury problem is being investigated, and the hope from the club is that it will be addressed.
Of the players that have uncertain futures, a decision will have to be made on Pape Matar Sarr, who has interest from Brentford. There is no doubt that other clubs will be keen on him too. Yves Bissouma has already gone and he was on big wages, which frees up money.
For the homegrown quota, expect someone like Archie Gray to stay. His versatility makes him a coach's dream and if the injury issues persist, his ability to play in so many positions will be crucial to De Zerbi.
Guglielmo Vicario has a lot of interest from Italy. Juventus and Napoli are the latest to take a look at him, according to Sky in Italy. If Spurs can get the right offer, he could go, which would see another goalkeeper come in.
In that scenario, Antonin Kinsky would fight it out with a new goalkeeper for the No 1 spot and Sky Sports News has been told that it is likely to be a player who is based in the UK currently.
In defence, Spurs have a dilemma with Luka Vuskovic, who would potentially bring in a lot of money, but they want to keep him. The problem is that he does not want another loan after being with Hamburg last season and wants to play regular first-team football.
Spurs see him as being a potential superstar in the near future but right now he is not viewed as being ahead of their current defensive options. Brighton have made a fresh offer of up to £45m and the player is keen on a move to the Amex Stadium.
Cristian Romero's future is often uncertain heading into a summer window. This could finally be the time that Spurs let their captain go but it is unclear if any clubs will stump up enough money.
Lucas Bergvall is an interesting one because with all the talk about Spurs' summer plans to sign midfielders, he might not get as much game time next season. Richarlison is coming into the final year of his deal, which means there might need to be a decision taken on him.
It is a very important pre-season for Mathys Tel. He has had a very up-and-down time of it at Spurs, perfectly encapsulated by his incredible goal against Leeds being quickly followed up by that mindless foul to give away the penalty.
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Newcastle have rejected an offer from Tottenham of around £80m for Sandro Tonali.
Tottenham's offer landed earlier this week and was knocked back by Newcastle immediately.
The Italy international is a top target for Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi as he looks to rebuild his squad after helping the club avoid relegation from the Premier League.
Man City are also interested in the midfielder, as well as continuing their pursuit of Nottingham Forest and England man Elliot Anderson.
Tonali, 26, has three years left on his Newcastle contract, with a club option for an additional year.
He signed for Newcastle from AC Milan for £55m three years ago.
Why Spurs want Sandro Tonali - and Newcastle do not want to let him go
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Spurs have already secured the free-agent signings of Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi, while a deal to sign Jan Paul van Hecke for £52m has also been agreed.
One of the club's top priorities this summer is improving the technical ability of the squad and bringing in a midfielder who can dictate play.
Tonali has been identified by De Zerbi as an ideal candidate for that role.
The Italian will have a big say on transfers and a move for Newcastle's Tonali would underline Spurs' commitment to backing De Zerbi and their promise to spend significantly on improving the squad.
Sky Sports News reported in April that there was a general understanding that Tonali - along with Anthony Gordon and Tino Livramento - may like a new challenge this summer. Gordon has already signed for Barcelona in a £69m transfer.
Spurs' summer transfer plans
Tottenham have got to work early on rebuilding their squad by signing centre-back Marcos Senesi and left-back Andy Robertson on free transfers. Spurs still want to add another defender amid their pursuit of Jan Paul van Hecke.
Brighton have made an improved £45m bid for Spurs' teenage centre-back Luka Vuskovic. The 19-year-old, who established himself as one of Europe's top young defenders on loan at Hamburg, is keen to move to Brighton.
As mentioned, Spurs are looking to create a squad capable of playing in the style of De Zerbi and finding a central midfielder who can dictate play is a key part of the plan.
Spurs have been searching for a winger to replace Heung-Min Son for a year but have so far been unsuccessful, failing with moves for Bryan Mbeumo and Antoine Semenyo. Man City's Savinho is one of the players on their list this summer.
De Zerbi also wants to bring in another striker, perhaps with the ability to play across the whole front line, to give him a variety of options in case Spurs' injury crisis does not let up next season.
Spurs may also need to sign another goalkeeper if Guglielmo Vicario returns to Italy. Juventus have him on their list as they evaluate a potential transfer, while Inter were previously interested. Antonin Kinsky kept the No 1 spot for the run-in under De Zerbi.