Tottenham have completed the club-record signing of West Ham United midfielder Mateus Fernandes, who joins in a mammoth £85m deal.
Remarkably, Fernandes' time as Spurs' record purchase is set to be brief. On Wednesday, the Sandro Tonali's bombas dropped, and he's expected to arrive in a deal that could be worth as much as £100m.
Roberto De Zerbi has certainly been appeased by a hierarchy desperate to ensure that the horrors of 2025/26 are never repeated. There's complete faith in De Zerbi, who worked a minor miracle to keep the club up, and one of many problem areas has been resolved by chucking an obscene amount of cash at it.
While Fernandes has suffered back-to-back relegations, his work for a dire Hammers outfit during the second half of last season rendered him a talent worthy of such a huge fee. Amid his warm welcome, with cult hero Sandro the protagonist of his announcement video, De Zerbi has explained why he wanted Fernandes so desperately.
De Zerbi is a long-time admirer of Spurs' new £85m man
The Italian is completely reshaping Tottenham's engine room by the blood and thunder of Tonali and Fernandes' silky attributes. He started out as a crafty attacking midfielder for Southampton before developing into a more rounded type in east London.
"I've admired Mateus for a long time because he combines quality on the ball with the intensity and intelligence that are so important in the way we want to play," De Zerbi told the club's official website.
The manager implemented a rather basic tactical approach in possession, relative to what we've seen from him in the past, at the backend of last season. An uptick in complexity is guaranteed in preseason, with Spurs so far signing players capable of transforming De Zerbi's build up into an unpressable beast.
"Despite his age, he already has good experience in the Premier League and has shown quality and consistency at this level. Mateus is comfortable under pressure, can progress the ball, works hard for the team, and has the courage to make things happen in difficult moments. I believe this is the ideal environment for him to continue his development, and I'm excited to start working with him," the Spurs boss added.
Fernandes, who'll wear No. 18 at his new home, noted the importance of De Zerbi in bringing him to N17 after back-to-back 17th-place finishes. He had Manchester United and Real Madrid on his tail this summer, but has bought into what the Italian wants to build in north London.
"When we spoke, it was very special. We look at football in the same way - going onto the pitch as a strong team, with fight and energy, to try and win every game," our glittering new signing said.
Can this World Cup be over with already? I'm ready for De Zerbi's showtime Lilywhites!
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