With reports circulating that Real Madrid are apparently keen to sign midfielder Mateus Fernandes when the summer transfer window opens next week, West Ham’s rebuild plans surely need to start in earnest. Their sole creative player is, whether to Madrid, Manchester or indeed Paris, odds-on to be sold in the coming weeks, creating something of a vacuum to be filled on a shoestring budget.
The distinct possibility of hitting their £80 million asking price means a sizeable chunk of the club’s debt will be dealt with, no doubt reducing financial pressure, putting the Irons in a stronger position to negotiate other deals and allowing the club to plan for acquisitions later in the window once other departures are completed.
As Claret and Hugh suggested last week, as well as Fernandes, Edson Álvarez, Soungoutou Magassa, Crysencio Summerville, Jean-Clair Todibo, El HadjiMalick Diouf and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are all “expected to be sold” whilst question marks remain over Taty Castellanos and Dinos Mavropanos. The Hammers are unlikely to be fortunate enough to find buyers for James Ward Prowse or Maximilian Kilman who are thought more likely to face extended loan spells.
First sale looms for West Ham United this summer: But how to replace Fernandes own a shoestring budget?
Whether, as reported, a £1.6 million midfielder will be up to the task of filling young Fernandes’ boots is another question altogether.
The gulf between Premier League and Championship is big: Even so, it would be a tough ask of Swansea City’s midfielder Ethan Galbraith who appears to be top of West Ham’s wish list at present: According to footballleagueworld.co.uk:
Sources have informed FLW that West Ham are very much eyeing up a deal for Swansea City midfielder Ethan Galbraith this summer – perhaps in anticipation of the aforementioned Fernandes moving on to a top flight club after just one year.”
Galbraith joined the Swans from Orient just last year for that modest transfer fee: Whether he can fill the creative void in West Ham’s midfield that will be created by the departure of Fernandes remains to be seen.
One thing is for sure: With anything upwards of ten departures on the cards in the coming months, The Irons need a head of recruitment appointing. PDQ.
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£80 million might go some way to meeting SCR compliance but another £70million will need to be found before we can look to incomings and it will be very telling by that time how much money, if any at all, will be available for incomings by the kind of player we might then be looking at.
I doubt they see Galbraith as a replacement for Fernandes but more as a versatile squad player who can fill in for different positions. According to FotMob his primary position is right back but he can also play defensive midfield, centre mid and attacking mid. With all the expected departures these are the kinds of players we need.His stats for last season are 39 games, 3 goals and 1 assist. He has 16 caps for Northern Ireland
I know Fernandes is the best of the team from last season but was he really so amazing? Not that many goals or assists and the second team he was relegated as a part of. He didn’t boss that many games to make the difference.
Will be sad to see him go and if he had better players around him maybe he would have shone more. Just hope he goes out of the country so we don’t have see him ripping it up in the Premiership.
considering how deep he was playing I think his goals and assists stats are impressive. The fact he was relegated twice has no bearing on his performances. Nobody wanted the ball more than Fernandes which is rare for such a young player. He’s a good passer and has good defensive qualities. I’m not surprised at all with the transfer fee and the clubs interested.
Completely agree
Ditto. Mateaus played where he was positioned in the midfield, and excelled in all the positions. We don’t want him to go he’s going to score more goals in his future, and the Club desperately needs the cash.
hes 21! better all round footballer than dec was at 21. his ability to shield the ball and keep possession, make space and crate chances makes him very interesting for a footballer for his age. i think the price tag is justified considering we owe a 1/4th of the fee to southampton
Unlikely Fernandes is a complete midfielder I ran some stats on him, Elliot Anderson and Rice at the same age, Anderson couldn’t get into the Newcastle side so didn’t compare Rice was better defensively but when you put defence and offence together Fernandes is better than both at the same age.
I agree. West Ham have to include a sell on clause because he could be worth double the 80 million soon.
That would be good if we can do it.
He is 21 if he continues to improve as Anderson and Rice have he will be worth a fortune in 2-3 seasons.