Not many gamers get a giant transfer after being relegated twice of their first two Premier League seasons. However Mateus Fernandes continues to be wanted.
Regardless of being a part of one of many worst Premier League groups in Southampton two seasons in the past, Fernandes nonetheless managed to safe a £38m transfer to West Ham. And regardless that he was relegated once more, he continues to be linked with massive groups.
Manchester United appear most excited about signing him this summer season – they usually know a factor or two about Portuguese skills referred to as Fernandes. Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain have additionally been strongly linked with the Hammers midfielder.
It is a robust midfield market this summer season too. The likes of Elliot Anderson, Enzo Fernandez and Sandro Tonali are among the many many midfield maestros doubtlessly obtainable this summer season.
If England midfielder Anderson is deemed the best central midfielder decide this summer season, then Fernandes is just not a nasty back-up switch goal. The numbers spell that out fairly clearly.
Final season, Fernandes proved his standing as one of many Premier League’s hardest tacklers and it is a characteristic that stands out for individuals who know him.
“That’s no surprise that his tackling stats are very high,” Simon Rusk, who labored with Fernandes at Southampton, together with through an interim head coach spell after the Saints’ relegation, tells Sky Sports activities.
“Both speaking to him and observing him, I could see that would be a feature in his game – and a strength.”
Alongside the tough-tackling nature is a variety of high-intensity operating to get to the problem within the first place.
Fernandes sits within the prime 10 Premier League midfielders for distance lined. And once more, it follows the identical sample: if Anderson is one of the best first-choice choice available on the market, then Fernandes is just about the subsequent best choice obtainable.
It wasn’t at all times the plan when Fernandes was signed by Southampton; he was seen by Russell Martin as a extra superior choice.
“He was used as a little bit more as a No 10, a little bit more of an advanced role,” he says. “But when I spoke to Matty through conversations with him, quite apparently, he saw himself as more of an all-round midfield player, more of a No 8.
“And that will lend himself to the defensive facet of the sport. What Matty wished to do, he wished to run. He wished to be concerned within the sport as a lot as attainable.
“But certainly, looking at his performances at West Ham this year, he certainly moved forward in terms of his game intelligence and mixed in with his strength, his tenacity and his engine.”
West Ham seen that want for Fernandes to play barely deeper too – utilizing him primarily as a hybrid choice between a No 6 and a No 8 within the season simply gone.
Fernandes performed as a No 10 at Southampton, however was used a lot additional again towards West Ham
Sadly for Fernandes, it has not fairly labored out by way of staff success. Again-to-back relegations have tarnished the rising profession of a promising midfield expertise.
However regardless of the tough contexts he is been trusted with, Fernandes has remained a optimistic affect on the dressing room wherever he has gone.
“He was a fantastic lad to work with,” provides Rusk. “I think he was mentally tough, but he’d be hurt. I could see how much it hurt him, the relegation at Southampton.
“And I am positive he’ll be hurting once more with being a part of a relegation at West Ham. However, his character, he’ll use that as gas.
“It will only make him a stronger, better player. It’s not necessarily what happens to you, it’s what meaning you apply to it. And I think for Matty, he’s got a growth mindset.
“He is bought an unbelievably wonderful angle in the direction of turning into higher. So he can solely use this as being higher.”
All these attributes helped convince multiple managers – including Rusk, Russell Martin, Graham Potter and Nuno Espirito Santo – that Fernandes is a player worth sticking with, even at his tender age.
Fernandes rapidly gained the belief of team-mates – at Southampton and West Ham
Since shifting to the Premier League aged 19, Fernandes has began all however 4 of the top-flight video games he is been obtainable for. Two of these matches have been his first two appearances within the competitors, one was resulting from suspension and the opposite noticed him rating off the bench away at Leeds final season.
“You’re looking at a 20-year-old, he’s landed in the Premier League and plays week in, week out,” says Rusk. “He’s instantly gained the trust of everyone in the building.
“And one factor you’ll be able to’t underestimate as nicely with a younger participant, he moved to a brand new nation, new atmosphere, completely different language, the predominant language. And he was capable of take care of all of these issues and seamlessly change into a daily starter within the Premier League.
“There was a level of maturity about him without any shadow of a doubt. Single-minded, but really good to work with – and very respectful. And all of those ingredients lend themselves to someone developing and becoming a better player.”
What has helped Fernandes settle in is the participant’s capacity to study new info rapidly – which can bode him nicely as he prepares for a 3rd summer season transfer in three years.
“I’ve worked with a lot of players where they’ve got an unbelievable raw talent, but maybe less coachable in terms of how they’re willing to absorb information,” says Rusk. “But Matty was, from that point of view, a dream to work with.”
Rusk noticed that firsthand throughout his time working with Fernandes at Southampton.
When the Saints visited Spurs in April 2025, Rusk – who was a part of the Saints backroom employees on the time – labored with the midfielder for a few days on making late runs into the field, in a bid to stifle Ange Postecoglou’s excessive line.
Fernandes ended up scoring in that sport through a late run into the field. In a sport remembered for Southampton struggling the earliest Premier League relegation in historical past, there have been indicators of a future gem within the works.
Fernandes scores towards Spurs – after a late run into the field
“The best players I’ve worked with, they learn quick. You tell them something and the penny drops quite quickly,” Rusk says.
“And that Tottenham game, we only had a day or two working on the timing of his runs into the box and he arrived with a goal late with what we’d worked on.
“It was one other little bit of reinforcement the place I believed: ‘yeah, you have bought an actual likelihood of occurring to nice issues right here.’
“I’ve benchmarked it against a lot of the players that have gone on to playing right at the top of the game: international football, Champions League, Premier League football. They were very resilient, they were very single-minded and they learn quick. And I definitely put Matty in that bracket.”
And talking of targets, that’s one space the place Fernandes may enhance. He bought 5 targets and 5 assists for West Ham final season – which isn’t unhealthy for a staff who ended up being relegated.
However as Rusk says: “If he applies goals, then you’re probably moving towards a complete midfielder.” Abruptly, the curiosity in Fernandes begins to make sense.
