West Ham United have placed an £80 million price tag on midfielder Mateus Fernandes, with Arsenal and Manchester United both expressing interest in the 21-year-old. Fernandes is expected to leave the London Stadium following West Ham's relegation to the Championship, despite the club's preference to retain him.
Fernandes joined West Ham from Southampton last summer in a deal worth up to £42 million. During a challenging season for the Hammers, he impressed with five goals and five assists. However, the club's lack of Premier League funds may force a sale, with Southampton entitled to 15 per cent of any transfer fee due to a sell-on clause.
Arsenal are reportedly in a strong position to negotiate, given their good relationship with West Ham. Manager Mikel Arteta is said to admire Fernandes's versatility and technical ability. Manchester United, meanwhile, are targeting multiple midfielders this summer and have included Fernandes on a shortlist that also features Ederson, Elliot Anderson, Aurelien Tchouameni and Sandro Tonali.
Fernandes made his senior debut for Portugal earlier this year but was not selected for the World Cup squad. His future is likely to be resolved in pre-season, as both Arsenal and United also monitor other targets such as Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers.
