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Analysis
- 26 minutes ago
Liverpool eye move for promising midfielder from relegation-threatened club
News
Liverpool will consider a move for 21-year-old West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes if the Hammers get relegated this season, according to insider David Lynch.
Fernandes was signed by West Ham after his previous club, Southampton, were relegated last season.
With two Premier League seasons of experience despite playing for clubs toward the bottom of the table, the young midfielder could be a summer target for bigger clubs at an affordable price if his current club goes down.
STATS
Mateus Fernandes
M (C)
West Ham
Mateus Fernandes
M (C)
West Ham
Liverpool have been open in midfield as manager Arne Slot lacks a truly defensive-minded player to shield the back four.
Plus, a key figure in the club’s rise up the table over the past decade, Andrew Robertson, was signed from relegated Hull City in 2017, and Liverpool may see a similar opportunity with Fernandes.
Fernandes provides what Liverpool need in midfield
Fernandes has moved from a box-to-box role with Southampton to being a holding midfielder in East London, and individually, the switch has worked well for the Portugal youth international.
In his final full season with Southampton, he scored three goals with six assists in 42 appearances across all competitions. This season, he has a solid three goals and three assists, which included a screamer from distance that ended up in the top corner in his club’s 3-1 victory over Sunderland.
Current ETV
Mateus Fernandes
M (C)
West Ham
Mateus Fernandes
M (C)
West Ham
ETV Range
€20.8M - €25.5M
He ranks in the top 20 in the Premier League in tackles (3.1) and accurate long passes (3.0) per 90 minutes, which proves his ability to impact matches despite his team’s struggles.
The question is how much West Ham would want for Fernandes if the club gets relegated. Southampton held out for a €44 million fee, to the point that the player appeared in four matches — scoring one goal with one assist — early this season before the deal was completed.
The Hammers would lose leverage if relegated, but Fernandes’s transfer last summer proves that Liverpool would probably not get a cut-price deal as they did when paying €9 million for Robertson in 2017.
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