Tottenham Hotspur has reached an agreement to acquire Portugal midfielder Mateus Fernandes from West Ham for a guaranteed £85 million. The north London club surpassed Manchester United, who were reportedly unwilling to meet the transfer fee.
The 21-year-old Fernandes was identified as a primary target for Tottenham. The club had previously seen an £80 million offer for Sandro Tonali rejected by Newcastle United. This move signifies Tottenham's proactive approach in the current transfer window, having already signed four players.
Earlier in the summer, Tottenham agreed to terms with goalkeeper Martin Dubravka, who will join on a free transfer once his contract with Burnley expires on July 1. The 37-year-old Slovakian was intended as a defensive reinforcement, following the acquisitions of Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson, both on free transfers from Bournemouth and Liverpool respectively, and Dutch defender Jan Paul van Hecke, who was signed for £52 million from Brighton.
Attention then shifted to strengthening the central midfield. However, a pursuit for Tonali proved challenging, as the Italian player signed a contract extension with Newcastle, with four years remaining on his deal. This extension was seen as a repayment for the club's support during his 10-month ban for breaching Football Association betting regulations.
Fernandes, despite his previous two Premier League relegations with West Ham, has attracted considerable interest during the summer transfer period. Both Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain had expressed interest in the midfielder.