West Ham dig in over Mateus Fernandes as Liverpool, United and City circle
West Ham are bracing for a queue of Premier League and European clubs at their door for Mateus Fernandes this summer. Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain are all monitoring the 21-year-old midfielder, but the Hammers are pushing back, setting a €65 million asking price and signalling they want to keep him if they avoid relegation.
A £42m signing the buyers want already
Fernandes only joined West Ham last August, arriving from Southampton on a five-year deal worth a reported £42m. Nine months on, the Portugal international has 29 Premier League appearances, three goals and three assists for the season, and a string of admirers across the league. The talking point at Rush Green is no longer whether he will be sold but at what price, and to whom.
Hammers want above the buy-it-now line
According to multiple reports, West Ham have set Fernandes' asking price at €65 million, a 30 per cent mark-up on the fee they paid Southampton. That figure is roughly £55m and sits above his current market valuation, which most data services have nearer €35m. The message from the boardroom is that any club wanting Fernandes is paying a premium, not negotiating a discount.
Why he is suddenly the most wanted Hammer
Fernandes ranks among the Premier League's best for possessions won this season and has been Nuno Espirito Santo's most consistent midfielder during a turbulent campaign. He scored the fastest Premier League goal of 2025-26, finishing in the 29th second of West Ham's December meeting with Aston Villa. Liverpool, United and City have all been linked, with reports suggesting each views him as a long-term central midfield option.
Relegation rewrites the script
What changes everything is the bottom of the table. After Saturday's 3-0 loss at Brentford, West Ham sit 17th and three games from the end of the season, two points above 18th-placed Tottenham, with Arsenal at home, Newcastle away and Leeds at home still to come. Survive that run and the club's stated plan is to keep Fernandes, Crysencio Summerville and Jarrod Bowen together for another tilt. Drop into the Championship and the £55m floor will not survive contact with reality.
For Fernandes himself, the math is straightforward. A summer move to Anfield, Old Trafford or the Etihad guarantees Champions League football and an England-based pay rise. Staying at the London Stadium, even in the Premier League, is a stretch goal compared to what is on the table. The decision is West Ham's only as long as they stay up.
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