Tottenham Hotspur are accelerating plans to hijack Manchester United’s pursuit of Mateus Fernandes, according to a new report.
Spurs on the hunt
Having come perilously close to suffering relegation last season, Tottenham are prepared to spend big this summer to back Roberto De Zerbi after he steered them to safety on the final day with a 1-0 win over Everton.
A £52 million deal has been struck to reunite the Italian manager with Brighton & Hove Albion centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke, while an £80 million offer for Sandro Tonali has been rejected by Newcastle United.
However, the Lilywhites have also stormed into the race for Fernandes, despite Manchester United having established themselves as frontrunners for the West Ham United starlet, who enjoyed a stellar campaign despite his side finishing eighteenth.
Mateus Fernandes Premier League stats: 2025/26 Season
Source: Sofascore
The aggression Spurs are demonstrating in the market is understood to have taken rivals, including the Red Devils, by surprise. Their “bullish” willingness to meet expensive valuations is hard to compete with, or can make it difficult for others to negotiate.
Manchester United’s pursuit of Fernandes is a perfect example, as West Ham have placed a prohibitive £80 million asking price on the 21-year-old’s head, despite only two seasons of experience in the Premier League.
Spearheaded by sporting director Jason Wilcox, Manchester United have sought to strike a cheaper deal, having already received the green light from Fernandes over his desire to complete a switch to Old Trafford.
There has been widespread interest in the one-cap Portugal international, with Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid all making enquiries. Nonetheless, United have maintained a firm grip on the race as the player is believed to be prioritising first-team opportunities, and there is confidence in M16 that a deal will be struck.
Ready to strike
This assurance is set to be firmly tested, however, as TEAMtalk reveals Tottenham are “preparing to launch a formal bid” for Fernandes after making “significant progress” in negotiations with his representatives.
“Sources have confirmed that discussions with both Fernandes‘ camp and West Ham have accelerated over the past few days, leaving Spurs increasingly confident that they can win the race for one of the Premier League’s most sought-after midfielders.
“As a result, we can reveal that Tottenham are now readying an offer worth around £75 million (€87m, $99m), a figure that would move them very close to West Ham’s initial £80 million valuation of the 21-year-old.”
The report does state United remain in a “strong position” as Wilcox has “longstanding ties to the player dating back to his time at Southampton”. West Ham signed Fernandes from the Saints for £38 million last year in a deal which included a 15% sell-on clause.
“Manchester United are not going away, however. Wilcox continues to work behind the scenes, and sources insist Old Trafford officials remain optimistic that their groundwork will ultimately pay off.”
Sky Sports corroborates the intent from Spurs to hijack a deal by outbidding United, who are said to value Fernandes in the £60m range, but “may be prepared to offer more” if needed.
However, in an interesting twist, The Sun claims well-placed sources have “doubted the seriousness” of Tottenham’s pursuit, suggesting Jorge Mendes, Fernandes’ agent, is the origin of this ‘interest’ as much as executives in North London.
The Sun concludes that one of the main competitors for the former Sporting CP star, Real Madrid, “expect [him] to join United”, further justifying the confidence in M16.
Final Thoughts
Should the decision fall down to a straight choice between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, there is little doubt which team Fernandes would pick. He considers his compatriot, Bruno Fernandes, an idol and the chance to play alongside him in the Champions League, in comparison to no European football at all with Tottenham, is a strong sales pitch.
But the question of price – and United’s willingness to match West Ham’s demands – is far less certain, and it is here where Spurs smell their advantage. If they strike a club record deal with the Hammers, while United only agree terms with the player, he looks unlikely to leave London this summer.
Featured image Julian Finney via Getty Images
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