Tottenham Hotspur’s ambitious summer has taken another significant turn as new signing Mateus Fernandes openly declares the club’s intentions under Roberto De Zerbi.
The 21-year-old Portuguese midfielder joined Spurs from West Ham in a deal worth £85million, representing one of the biggest transfer fees the north London club has ever paid for a player.
Fernandes wasted no time in setting expectations, making clear that De Zerbi convinced him Tottenham are aiming for the very top of the Premier League this coming season.
“I’m very happy, I’m very excited for this next step. Of course, it’s a massive club. I already know the city and the country. I spoke with the manager. I think he was the main key for me to join Tottenham and the project. We will fight for the Premier League, we will fight for first place,” said the midfielder.
Fernandes will wear the number 18 shirt for Spurs, arriving at a club that only narrowly avoided relegation on the final day of the previous season.
The ambition behind the project clearly attracted Fernandes, with Manchester United also reportedly interested in securing his signature before he chose Tottenham.
He added that De Zerbi’s personal approach to recruiting him was a decisive factor: “The way he spoke with me, with my family, it was very special for me and for my family. So yeah, I’m very excited to meet him, to meet the fans, to meet everyone and try to do my best and enjoy the moment as well.”
Spurs are not stopping with Fernandes, reportedly set to spend a further £100million to bring Sandro Tonali from Newcastle to partner him in central midfield, underlining the scale of the rebuild underway.
Those two deals come on top of the £52million spent securing Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton, as well as free transfers for Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dubravka across the summer window.
On the pitch, Fernandes described himself as most comfortable operating as a number eight, though his versatility means he can also function as a winger or even a striker when required by the team.
“For me, I feel more happy when I play like a number eight, box to box. When I was in Southampton, I was playing more in front, like a winger, but I always play deeper when I was in Sporting. So I can play winger, I can play striker, I can play midfielder,” he said.
The Portuguese international also spoke about his hunger for titles and his desire to contribute meaningfully to Tottenham’s cause on a consistent basis this season.
“I just want to help the team, to help my teammates improve my game as well. I know that I need to score more goals, give more assists, fight even more because I want to win titles,” Fernandes stated.
Before signing his long-term contract, Fernandes received a glowing personal recommendation about the club from a familiar face, former Sporting teammate and current Spurs defender Pedro Porro.
“I spoke with Pedro Porro as well. I played with him at Sporting and he spoke about everything. He spoke about the manager, the mentality, change in the group, the training ground, the stadium,” said Fernandes. “Of course, London, it’s a city that I know now, but he spoke about the city as well. And he told me many, many good things about the club. So I’m ready.”
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