Premier League Target Given ‘Green Light’ Amid Transfer Interest

Originally posted on Essential Football | By J Johnson | Last updated Jun 3, 2026 10:08 AM ET

Currently, Mateus Fernandes appears to be one of the most coveted players in the world. Some of the Premier League’s top clubs are looking to snap him up – recently, he has been given the green light to leave West Ham United in the upcoming summer transfer window.

This comes from a recent report put out by TEAMtalk. Arsenal and Manchester United have made official contact with the player’s representatives, while Liverpool are monitoring the situation. Furthermore, PSG are also waiting in the wings. As such, competition for Fernandes’ signature is incredibly high at present.

However, the player will leave West Ham in the summer, reports suggest. He has no intention of staying in place at the London Stadum following the Hammers’ relegation to the Championship on the final day of the season.

He won’t come cheap, though. Fernandes is valued at £80 million by the Hammers, but it remains to be seen if this valuation will be met. West Ham are in no position to make demands at the moment – it’s likely his services can be secured for a fee lower than this.

Despite this, West Ham have one factor running in their favour – his contract isn’t due to expire until the summer of 2030. As such, bidding for the player is expected to start at around £60 million.

Mateus Fernandes 2025/26 Premier League stats

	Games	Goals	Assists	Yellow Cards	Red Cards
M. Fernandes	36	3	4	6	0

Mateus Fernandes is a phenomenal modern midfielder. Capable of occupying virtually any role in the middle of the park, he possesses strong defensive qualities and excellent attacking acumen. On top of this, his energy levels and stamina are also top notch.

With seven goal contributions from the heart of the Hammers’ midfield last season, he was one of their most important players – albeit, within a largely lacklustre squad.

He is also very fit and rarely – if ever – gets injured. He didn’t miss a single game for West Ham last season, only missing their first two games of the campaign because he hadn’t signed for them at that point.

Who should sign Mateus Fernandes?

For our money, Fernandes should make the jump to Manchester United. Not only has he been given Bruno Fernandes’ seal of approval, they’re also in need of a central midfielder. At Liverpool, Arsenal and PSG, we fear he risks being lost in the mix.

With Casemiro set to leave the club at the end of the season, the Red Devils need midfield reinforcements. Fernandes certainly isn’t a like-for-like swap – he is more of a box-to-box player – but bringing him on board would go a long way towards plugging the gaps that hs departure will inevitably leave behind.

It is worth mentioning that Fernandes now has two relegations on his CV. In addition to being relegated with West Ham, he also finished bottom of the Premier League table with Southampton in 2024/25. However, being able to succeed, even within a fundamentally bad squad, is a talent in of itself.

This article first appeared on Essential Football and was syndicated with permission.

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