Tottenham Hotspur were horrible against Brentford on Matchday 1 of the 2026/27 Premier League season, but one of their lone saving graces was the quality of defensive midfielder Mateus Fernandes off the bench. The Portuguese international had some fitness question marks but looked like a baller, solidifying a midfield that was atrocious before he came onto the pitch.
Roberto De Zerbi was able to give him the full start against Charlton Athletic on Wednesday night in the Second Round of the League Cup, and the young man was more than up to the task. Fernandes was, once again, the best midfielder on the pitch, and he and Rodrigo Bentancur seem to be building a great partnership.
It is early days, of course, but it is amazing watching Fernandes play so far and comparing that to what people around the Premier League were saying about the 22 year old signing from West Ham United.
Mateus Fernandes might even be a steal
So many people were talking about the 85 million pound transfer fee being too much, especially fans of clubs like Manchester United that missed out on his signature. But honestly, Fernandes looks like he is worth significantly more than that, because Tottenham Hotspur spent 100 million pounds on proven Serie A champion Sandro Tonali with Fernandes actually looking even better than the player Spurs were hoping Tonali to be.
Far from a raw U23 player, Fernandes is producing at an even higher level than he was at West Ham, and he has benefited from playing around players who are better. But even when Spurs were awful against Brentford, he still managed to stand out positively, which actually should not come as a surprise because he was doing that all season long in 2025/26 with the Hammers.
It is impossible to cause Mateus Fernandes an 85 million pound bargain after two games, but the Tottenham Hotspur defensive midfielder is making Spurs fans consider that possibility already. That is how good he has been with his marking, work rate, and sharpness on the ball. He can really put zip on his passes and progress play in a way the other Tottenham midifelders these past, honestly five years have not been able to do.
Fernandes will continue to grow and excel, and as fellow new signing Sandro Tonali begins to round into form and click next to him, more and more Tottenham fans are going to be on board with the idea of Fernandes as an 85 million pound steal when comparing him to Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez going to Chelsea for well over 100 million pounds.
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