Mateus Fernandes picks Tottenham, citing De Zerbi’s personal support

Tottenham Hotspur completed the £85 million (£582 million R$) signing of Portuguese midfielder Mateus Fernandes from West Ham, beating competition from Manchester United. Fernandes said the decisive factor was manager Roberto De Zerbi’s daily contact and the promise to act as a “second father” for him and his family, especially because his parents do not speak English well. Former Sporting Lisbon teammate Pedro Porro also urged Fernandes to join, contacting him directly and recommending the move to De Zerbi.

De Zerbi has made reinforcing the attack a priority, targeting Manchester City winger Savinho, Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo and Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush alongside the Fernandes deal. The club’s director of football operations Rafi Moersen, with ties to the City Football Group, is expected to aid negotiations for these additional targets as the transfer window closes.