West Ham United have made another offer for Southampton midfielder Mateus Fernandes, as reported by Guardian journalist Jacob Steinberg. The new offer includes £32m, including add-ons. Earlier, the Hammers had offered £28m with £2m add-ons, which Southampton immediately rejected. Now the club have made their next move by raising just £2m, while Saints’ demands are clear that they want an amount between £50-60m.
According to David Ornstein as well, Southampton’s stance are very tough, and the club want to show that their Portuguese midfielder will not go at a low price under any circumstances.
West Ham’s intention are clear that they want to bring Fernandes to London, but this level of meagre increase is not even touching Saints’ expectations. Still, there is time left in the transfer window, and the door is open for negotiations, but the picture at the moment is that the Irons will have to be more aggressive to get the 21-year-old.
Would Mateus Fernandes be the right player for West Ham?
Fernandes is a player who can add both depth and creativity to the midfield. His biggest strengths are retaining possession in the midfield under pressure and consistency in precise passing. The Portuguese can also play through balls that can break down the opposition defence and make box-to-box runs. If West Ham bring him in, he could improve their quality in the midfield and give players like Lucas Paquetá more freedom.
The question, however, is whether The Irons will be willing to spend a hefty amount on him with such a high asking price. In our opinion, Fernandes could be a long-term solution for West Ham, but a deal would only be possible if the club are brave enough to pay the Saints’ asking price.
Therefore, if they do want to get the central midfielder as one of their best options in this transfer window, they have to get closer to the value that Southampton are asking for selling one of their best players.
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