West Ham United may hold most of the cards, but Mateus Fernandes and Manchester United still have a joker in the pack.
As they wait with bated breath all the way from North London to the North West, the feeling at the moment is that Mateus Fernandes is willing to join Spurs.
But not if he can help it.
It is no secret that Old Trafford is the dream destination for West Ham United’s much-coveted number 18. That was true at the start of the saga, and remains the truth today.
How much do YOU think Fernandes will be sold for in the end?
The issue is – and it is a sizeable issue at that – Manchester United appear reluctant to go near his £85 million price-tag. The same cannot be said of Tottenham, it appears.
Of course, West Ham’s stance is that they plan to sell to the highest bidder. There is a very good chance that this will be Tottenham.
But there remains a two-word phrase which may yet swing things back in Man United’s direction; ‘player power’.
Mateus Fernandes could still snub Tottenham for Manchester United
As interest from Real Madrid, PSG and Arsenal cools, with Man United holding firm on their initial valuation, Tottenham have not only emerged this week as the potential winners for Fernandes’ signature, but also one of the few genuine destinations available to him.
West Ham’s staggeringly-high valuation has put off all but the most cash-rich and – in the case of one particular club – the most desperate. Spurs, off the back of successive 17th-place finishes, are certainly that.
But if Fernandes really is desperate to join his idol Bruno Fernandes at Old Trafford, he could still find a way to force his dream move into reality. As Benjamin Sesko did nearly 12 months ago.
“Fernandes has indicated that United is his preferred destination for some time,” Red Devils reporter Shaun Connolly wrote on an X update this Thursday evening. “Still, he needs a contingency plan – hence, Spurs.
“There will come a time during this public auction when his word will carry weight. That doesn’t mean West Ham will crumble, but it will play a part.”
Benjamin Sesko shows Fernandes how he can make his dream a reality
In August of last year, RB Leipzig accepted a £71 million initial offer from Newcastle for star striker Sesko.
The Slovenia international refused to sign on the dotted line, however, and Leipzig were eventually forced to accept a lower up-front bid – £66 million – from Old Trafford.
Newcastle were also rumoured to have offered Sesko a greater financial package, as Spurs are now with Fernandes.
“Every time a deal doesn’t go through, there are many different factors involved,” Sesko’s agent, Elvis Basanovic, told Pop TV when explaining how Man United nabbed Sesko from under Newcastle’s nose while also forcing Leipzig to accept the smaller of the two bids.
The fixtures are out! How many points do West Ham NEED in the first 5 games?
Turf Moor is a tough start…
“I think it was also important that Benjamin’s desire has always been Manchester United. Because of that, he was willing to accept a slightly lower salary and I also accepted a lower commission.
“Simply put, it was the player’s dream.”
If Man United remains Mateus Fernandes’ ‘dream’, then Tottenham would not be guaranteed to win the war even if West Ham accept an inevitably colossal bid from their London neighbours.
Fernandes still has the power to say yes or no, after all.
It has even been suggested that Fernandes will respond to any Tottenham’s bids by imploring Man United to match it.
When the time comes for Man United to finally make an offer of their own – and if Fernandes decides it is Old Trafford or nothing – West Ham’s plan to sell to the highest bidder may go about as well as Leipzig’s did back in 2025.
The good news is that, even if Man United do emerge victorious from a saga that has dominated the first month of the summer, West Ham will still see a fee in excess of £70 million trickle into the coffers.
A £70 million windfall would go a long way to rebuilding a squad capable of dominating the Championship.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
