By Kris Gonzo | Senior West Ham Columnist (Follow on X)
West Ham selling Mateus Fernandes to Tottenham for £85m was supposed to leave an enormous hole in the Hammers midfield.
A few weeks later, I’m starting to wonder whether we’ve somehow ended up stronger.
Arne Engels arrived for just £22m and has already started to look like one of West Ham’s most important signings, while Spurs are still trying to work out exactly how to get the best from Fernandes.
In our latest video, Geo and I discuss what has happened to Fernandes since leaving West Ham and whether Tottenham are even using him in the position which allowed us to see the best of him.
Nobody is pretending Fernandes suddenly became a bad footballer. We watched him in claret and blue and know exactly how talented he is.
But Engels has been outstanding. His energy, quality on the ball and influence on this West Ham team have made the £22m fee look increasingly impressive.
When you consider West Ham received £85m for Fernandes and spent only £22m on Engels, it’s difficult not to look at the business we’ve done and be a little smug or at least chuffed.
Have West Ham somehow banked £63m and upgraded at the same time?
£85m out. £22m in. No refunds!
Love this, the type of positive article I like to read. Nice one Gonzo. Could do with one on where have all the West Ham songs gone, we only seem to sing bubbles and we are West Ham’s claret blue army, plus shouting of irons which is an awful chant. When was the last time we sang our managers name. Also we all follow the West Ham over land and sea, is it because we have a larger attendance no one knows the songs. Always liked someone kicking off twist and shout at Upton Park behind the goal next to the away end.
Fernandes is a very good player and i feel we could of used him more going forward than we did…spuds was certainly the wrong move for him but that is his and his agents problem….Engels what can you say he is a proper duracell bunny getting up and down the pitch good dead ball delivery and can only get better and i have no fear if promoted that this man will do well in the premier league…….i did worry some when i heard the likes of Alan Brazil and Ally McCoist say he was ok but not someone that would be missed to much and being ex pros you had to wonder but hearing Martin O’Neil admitting Celtic are missing his drive in the middle of the park you have to wonder why they let him go but they did and at what is nowadays a cheap price i think we have done very well indeed and need to even now be looking for more players like this.
Very different players. Have we got a good deal with Engels. Yes. Is fernades a very good player. Would they have been a good partnership in the premiership. If we had stayed up. Yes they probably would have
Could’nt agree more and the same goes for Kudas, his form has dropped dramatically since leaving us. So thats around £130 mill for them and hammers have spent around £35 – 40 mill on replacements, good business, very poor for the Spuds.
Let’s not write off Fernandes yet. Other good players have gone to Spurs and failed. I think in the future we may have regrets of having to sell him. He’s still young. All these purchases bt Spurs are going to be a problem if none of them kicks on. Their future potential losses on platers like this, and Kudus, may hold them back for years. Remember it’s not just the transfer fees they paid some of the wages were eye catching as well.
Engels is certainly good enough that comparison with Fernandes is serious. I wouldn’t like to say who was better, we need to see if it continues.
Looks a good signing, as does Solomon with what’s been seen of Austvo being promising too.