West Ham have insisted they are under no financial pressure to sell midfielder Mateus Fernandes, despite growing interest from Manchester United and Arsenal following the club’s relegation from the Premier League.
Shareholder Daniel Kretinsky, who is set to become West Ham’s largest shareholder and also owns the Daily Mail, told The Times the club’s priority is securing an immediate return to the top flight rather than raising funds through player sales. “We have a very credible strategy,” Kretinsky said. “We don’t need to sell the players for financial reasons. We are doing this to make sure we are promoted back to the Premier League immediately. That is our only goal. Key players are waiting for us. They want to see there is a real chance of keeping the squad together. What matters is funding, strategy and consistency. We have spoken to all of them. They need to see that our project is real and serious. Promotion is our only goal.”
Fernandes, a 21-year-old Portugal international, joined West Ham from Southampton last summer and had an impressive season despite the club’s relegation to the Championship. West Ham are reported to have set an asking price of £80 million for the midfielder, reflecting their reluctance to let him leave cheaply.
Manchester United have been heavily linked with Fernandes as part of new permanent manager Michael Carrick’s efforts to strengthen his midfield options. The club have already agreed a deal to sign Brazilian midfielder Ederson from Atalanta but are seeking further reinforcements, with Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleba also previously linked. Fernandes is seen as a more realistic target given West Ham’s relegation, with United having already held talks over a potential deal and captain Bruno Fernandes reportedly having “approved” the move.
United face competition not only from Premier League champions Arsenal, who are looking to strengthen Mikel Arteta’s title-winning squad, but also from Real Madrid, who recently appointed Jose Mourinho as their new manager.
The pursuit of Fernandes has also drawn public backing from former England striker Michael Owen. Speaking to Metro last week, Owen, who serves as the face of Casino.org in the UK, praised the midfielder’s performances last season. “I thought he was brilliant last season,” Owen said. “I watched him a lot I think he’s a very good pick. He’s reasonably young which is another massive tick. If you’re going to be spending 80 to 100 million then you don’t want to be buying someone that’s in their late 20s. I could see him and Kobbie Mainoo forming a great partnership in there, and the other thing is he should be gettable. West Ham have gone into the Championship and he’s not going to want to be playing in the Championship so I mean I would think that he’s very gettable and I think he’s very good. I personally would be making him my first choice.”
