European scouts have stepped up their visits to the London Stadium as Mateus Fernandes continues to draw interest ahead of the summer, with West Ham now planning for the 21-year-old's sale. The midfielder has five goals and four assists in 40 appearances this season, and the club believe they will bank more than the £38million they paid Southampton last summer.
West Ham sources say the club have already conceded Fernandes will be sold to help fund recruitment in the next window, with Paris Saint-Germain among the teams watching closely. Fernandes is under contract on a five-year deal with the option of a further year and does not have a release clause, which means any move will have to be negotiated rather than triggered. Southampton also stand to receive 15 per cent of any profit after inserting a sell-on clause when the midfielder left St Mary's.
Fernandes has become one of West Ham's most reliable performers in a difficult season, particularly after Lucas Paqueta's January departure to Flamengo left a gap in the midfield. He scored a long-range goal in the 3-1 victory over Sunderland in January, has added four assists, and came close to scoring again in last weekend's 1-0 loss to Arsenal. Two of those assists came in wins over Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley, and his ability to operate deeper, on the wing or as a No 10 has only increased his appeal.
The move into the spotlight has not come out of nowhere. Fernandes joined West Ham from Southampton last summer after first arriving in England from Sporting CP in August 2024, when he signed for £15million, and he was voted Southampton's fans' player of the season after a strong 2024-25 campaign. Before that, Ruben Amorim had described him as a very valuable young player with the qualities to become a great one, and Sporting wanted to keep him. West Ham's decision to cash in now reflects a club under pressure to reshape the squad while fighting for Premier League survival, even if it risks losing one of the players who has steadied them most.
The question is not whether Fernandes will attract bids. It is how high West Ham can push the fee before a summer sale becomes inevitable, and whether the club can replace a midfielder who has already proved he can carry responsibility when the pressure is on.
