Southampton are set to face an influx of offers for highly rated Portuguese midfielder Mateus Fernandes.
According to ExWHUEmployee, thirteen clubs have made approaches for the midfielder, who starred for Portugal in the recent U21 Euros.
Will Still’s side would prefer to keep Fernandes in their bid for promotion from the Championship, but here’s what it will take to sign the Saints star, and which clubs are in the hunt.
Southampton’s Stance
The Saints would like to keep hold of Mateus Fernandes, especially as their other main big asset, Tyler Dibling, looks set to leave for Everton in a £40m+ deal in the coming weeks.
Furthermore, Southampton manager Will Still is seemingly hopeful that they can keep hold of a player that could be pivotal this season: “I hope so (on if Fernandes will stay). I hope so. I know he’s a good player. I know there’s interest. I know there’s a lot of noise around him. That’s normal when you’ve got quality players like him, but I think the club has been clear.
“If he leaves, he’ll leave at the right price and we’ll be able to replace him. I’m not too worried about that. I don’t want to get involved in all the rumours and stuff.”
Which Clubs Are Interested in Mateus Fernandes?
Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa are potential suitors for Fernandes, but these clubs will likely wait for possible outgoings before making any bids.
West Ham United and newly-promoted Leeds both hold significant interest, but it is understood that Fernandes is not especially keen on joining either side and would rather sign for a club in a European competition.
From elsewhere in Europe, Benfica, Atletico Madrid, and Juventus are keen on signing the 21-year-old.
A Swap Deal and Return?
West Ham have reportedly ‘not been encouraged’ by Southampton in transfer talks, but are willing to waiver the Saints’ demands by offering Southampton their former captain, James Ward-Prowse, as part of the deal.
While this gesture may look appealing to Saints fans who would like to see a hero return, Ward-Prowse will demand high wages, being on £115,000 a week gross salary in East London.
Ward-Prowse may entertain a drop in wages to re-join his boyhood club, will he really want to take something close to a 50% decrease?
Fernandes’ Situation
Mateus Fernandes currently has a contract at Southampton running until 2029, after joining on a 5-year deal last Summer. The club are under no financial pressure to sell, complying comfortably with PSR regulations.
Fernandes has acknowledged this and seems happy to stay put if necessary: “I have a contract with Southampton. The next season will be different, I hope. Maybe we can play much better and win many, many games. We will work for that, train for that and I think we can do much better than last year.”
Saints manager Will Still has heavily praised Mateus Fernandes, who has featured in pre-season for Southampton in a much deeper role than he did under former managers. “He brings quality on the ball. His understanding of the game is of a very high level. He’s got that special thing about him. He’s interesting in that lower position where he’s got the game in front of him.”
Southampton’s Valuation Of Mateus Fernandes
As Southampton manager Will Still reiterated on Fernandes, “If he leaves, he’ll leave at the right price”.
Currently, there is no exact price-tag on his head, one senior source at Southampton shunned claims that the club will let Fernandes go for a reported fee of £30m, joking that you could only get his hair for that price!
When Tyler Dibling’s sale is finalised, the Saints will have raised nearly £100m in this window, so their asking price for Fernandes will rise accordingly too.
The EFL Championship side will be expecting bids north of £50m if they are to let go of Mateus Fernandes.
With only a week left until the new season, we are approaching a desperate time in the window, where clubs will pay bigger fees and compete more ferociously in the market. With over a dozen clubs in for the Portuguese star, a bidding war could be imminent…
