Major player sales at West Ham United are expected following their relegation to the Championship, but the stance that Mateus Fernandes has adopted is a major boost for the club.
Hammers News understands that West Ham value Fernandes at least £80million, with Manchester United and Tottenham both linked.
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It seems almost certain that Fernandes will leave West Ham this summer, but that does not mean the player will be creating much of an issue.
Indeed, it seems he’s actually helping facilitate a bidding war for the club.
Fernandes helps West Ham by not forcing a move
According to Fabrizio Romano, Fernandes is open to joining either Manchester United or Spurs this summer.
“He’s ready to go,” said the transfer expert.
“Man United, Tottenham, the player is not creating any issue on this.”
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So much so, in fact, that he is refusing to make a big issue about it all behind the scenes.
Relegated teams often have to deal with players attempting to force an exit but that does not appear to be the case here with Fernandes.
Rather, the fact that the midfielder – surely one of the most coveted players on the market this summer – is so flexible about his destination plays right into West Ham’s hands.
They can step back and watch two teams with huge resources battle it out to offer them the most convincing deal.
That can only be a good thing for West Ham. Having to sell a player that good relatively cheaply would have been quite the kick in the teeth regardless of whether they were relegated or not.
Frankly, hearing about such a case is refreshing. There have been so many examples of player power overriding the needs of a club in recent seasons that this has to be seen as a positive stance.
It could well be a rare case of everyone winning from a deal. The selling club gets their valuation, the player gets his move, and the buying club get a star in the making.
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