Midfielders of Mateus Fernandes’ ilk do not come around too often. So West Ham United, seemingly consigned to his inevitable departure, will not need reminding how difficult a task finding a replacement will be.
Yet, reports claiming that the Hammers are chasing Troyes ace Martin Adeline suggest that the challenge, while undeniably difficult, may not be a mission of impossible proportions.
The Daily Mail report that Adeline, a France Under-20 international who helped Troyes seal a return to Ligue 1 last season, has been identified as a suitable addition for a midfield destined to lose the masterful Mateus Fernandes.
Big shoes to fill, certainly. But shoes which could fit Adeline like a glass slipper on Cinderella.
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West Ham United eye ESTAC Troyes talisman Martin Adeline
Hammers News have been told that, while a move to Manchester United feels like the most likely scenario at this stage, it will take bids in excess of £60 million to prise Fernandes away from West Ham United.
Man United are expected to spend between £200 and £300 million following Champions League qualification, though. And with Elliot Anderson seemingly destined for Manchester City, Fernandes appears to have emerged as their preferred partner for Kobbie Mainoo in the centre of Michael Carrick’s engine room.
The aforementioned Adeline ended the Ligue 2 season with 11 goals and 13 assists from his advanced midfield role.
While The Mail describe Adeline as someone who can ‘pull the strings’ in the centre of the park, the stats and the highlight reel showcase a much more varied, all-round midfield talent.
Mateus Fernandes has been described as the ‘ultimate midfielder’ in reference to his supremely broad skillset; he topped the charts at West Ham for chances created and tackles won. Adeline is another all-round number eight who excels both in and out of possession.
The Mastermind Site described Adeline, prior to France’s U19 Euros campaign in 2022, as an ‘ exceptional midfield destroyer; A ball-winning midfielder who you can guarantee will fight for the badge every time he sets foot on the pitch’.
Adeline was once compared to N’Golo Kante in France
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They likened him to a young N’Golo Kante – arguably the best defensive midfielder of his generation – while also praising Adeline’s ability to ‘wonderfully dictate the tempo; with top dollar close control, his ball-carrying abilities can be considered more than resolute, even if they do require some growth to claim world class status’.
In the four years since then, the former Paris Saint-Germain kid has developed a goalscoring, box-crashing streak.
An ability to hit double figures for both goals and assists, combined with his existing defensive output, potentially makes Adeline an inspired successor for Fernandes in East London.
“Martin is a modern midfielder,” Franck Chalencon, a former coach at Reims, told Liberation. “He is capable of breaking lines with his passing, but he also puts in immense physical effort. He has an exceptional engine and great intensity.
“What stands out most about him is his intelligence; he understands tactical instructions instantly and applies them flawlessly on the pitch.”
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