Tottenham Hotspur have beaten Manchester United in the race to sign the West Ham United midfielder Mateus Fernandes.

According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, Tottenham are paying £85 million in guaranteed fees for the transfer of the Portuguese central midfielder. The report further claims that Manchester United were unwilling to pay that kind of money for the player.

🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Tottenham Hotspur win race to sign Mateus Fernandes from West Ham United. Spurs submitted highest proposal (believed to be ~£85m guaranteed) & 21yo #WHUFC midfielder opted to join #THFC. Numbers beyond where #MUFC willing to go @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/8JMyfl8LoS

— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) June 30, 2026

The 21-year-old central midfielder has been linked with a move away from West Ham United in recent weeks, and Tottenham have decided to pay a premium in order to get the deal done. They need more control and technical ability in the middle of the park, and Fernandes should prove to be an excellent long-term acquisition.

Even though West Ham have been relegated, Fernandes was quite impressive for them last season. He has the quality to play for the biggest clubs in the country, and the opportunity to play for Tottenham will be exciting for him. He will look to help them bounce back strongly next season.

Meanwhile, Manchester United will be disappointed to have missed out on the player. They need more quality in the middle of the park, and they will probably move on to other targets now.

Tottenham are also hoping to sign Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali. The Italian International is likely to cost a premium, and it remains to be seen whether they can afford to sign him after the outlay on Fernandes.