West Ham were close to agreeing a deal to sign Gedson Fernandes on loan with an obligation to buy for £33 million, according to a report from Sky Sports. The east London outfit’s interest in the 21-year-old aroused Tottenham’s interest, however.
And the Portuguese starlet ended up joining Spurs on an 18-month loan deal. The north London club allegedly have an option to buy the midfielder for £56 million in the summer of 2021 (The Sun).
But have the Hammers had a lucky escape?
Fernandes has made a very slow start to life in north London. In nine games for Tottenham, the attacking midfielder has failed to register either a goal or an assist (Transfermarkt).
In those nine outings, the 21-year-old has played just 272 minutes. So Jose Mourinho is clearly easing him into the Premier League.
But as things stand, Fernandes looks like a fish out of water.
21-year-old struggling to impress at Tottenham
In four Premier League appearances, the Portuguese ace has averaged just 0.5 key passes and 0.5 dribbles per game (Who Scored).
He also looks like he is a long way off where he needs to be physically, if he is to succeed in the Premier League.
The 21-year-old’s defining moment in a Tottenham shirt this season came when he missed a penalty against Norwich in the FA Cup last week, after an extremely weak attempt was easily saved by Tim Krul.
Fernandes made a token 15 minute appearance for Spurs against RB Leipzig in the Champions League last night, and he was totally ineffective. Although, in fairness, the game was already lost when he came on.
It may still be far too early to call. But the early signs are that West Ham might have just had a lucky escape by missing out on the young Portuguese midfielder.
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