Mateus Fernandes is among the most sought-after midfielders in Europe this summer, but the Portuguese talent won’t come on the cheap as West Ham set big demands ahead of their return to the Championship.
Now we know Manchester United don’t want Elliot Anderson enough to warrant a bidding war for his signature; much of the attention has turned to Mateus Fernandes, who has a valuation of £85m.
United want to sign the player in a cheaper deal than that, with West Ham looking to raise £150m (as per The Athletic) this summer following their relegation from the Premier League.
Only time will tell if West Ham’s stance weakens over the summer or if they will accept a lower fee for their most prized asset. It’s no secret that they need money one way or another.
Man Utd may be in for a long transfer saga over Mateus Fernandes: What is the most INFURIATING/PAINFUL one you can recall?
No soft deadline for West Ham duo Mateus Fernandes and Crysencio Summerville
In the weeks that led to West Ham’s relegation, The Guardian stated the Hammers would have to raise £100m in player sales if they faced the drop.
That figure has reportedly increased to £150m since West Ham’s status as a Championship club was sealed.
The three players West Ham fans will be sorry to see leave are Jarrod Bowen, Fernandes and Crysencio Summerville.
Summerville emerged as a United target following his goal in the Netherlands’ opening match at the 2026 World Cup.
This context matters because United could take advantage of West Ham’s situation by signing two of their three best players.
On Thursday night, Tottenham joined the race for Fernandes’ signature, which will be music to West Ham’s ears.
United fans may be wondering if there is a certain deadline by which West Ham needs to raise £150m, especially with Czech billionaire Kretinsky set to increase his West Ham stake from 27% to 43%.
So, United In Focus caught up with Adam Williams, Head of Football Finance and Governance at GRV Media, to get a greater understanding of the situation.
Williams said: “Kretinsky’s ascent to becoming the single largest shareholder at West Ham might rectify some of their immediate need for cash. He’s said he’ll provide the money needed to make a quick return to the Premier League and that they don’t necessarily need to sell their best players. I’d take that with a pinch of salt, though.
“While Kretinsky can use his own, external funds to rectify any cash flow issues, there is still the matter of the new Squad Cost Ratio (SCR) rules. The new system is limiting clubs in the Championship to spending 85 per cent of revenue plus a three-year average on player sale profits on first-team wages and transfer costs. West Ham’s ratio will have been over 100 per cent this season. And, of course, while players have step-down clauses in their contracts to protect against the financial costs of relegation, the club’s revenue is probably going to fall even more steeply. You can top up your SCR allowance with owner equity by a maximum of £15m in a single season, but they are still going to need some wriggle room, I would imagine.
“So I don’t think there is any doubt that they are under pressure to sell this summer. Even if Kretinsky is saying the opposite, I expect that is posturing to try and give them a better footing in negotiations. Inherently, that means Manchester United would be negotiating from a position of strength if they want to sign Fernandes and/or Summerville.
“But in terms of a deadline, I don’t think they have pressure to sell before the financial year-end, as we have seen with other clubs in recent years who have had to get deals over the line within the PSR monitoring period.
“You’re allowed to lose £105m over a rolling three-year period. West Ham lost over £100m in 2024-25, but they made a near-£60m profit the previous year. So even if you account for another big loss in 2025-26, I think they’ll be under the limit when you factor in allowable spending. And even if they aren’t, they can always sell an asset to themselves, like we’ve seen at Chelsea, Everton, Newcastle etc. That’s why PSR is broken and SCR is coming in to correct it.
“So are West Ham under pressure to sell generally and could that benefit United? Yes, but I don’t think there is a PSR-enforced deadline.”
- ⚡️ NEWS IN BRIEF
- West Ham need to raise £150m following their relegation to the Championship
- Jarrod Bowen, Mateus Fernandes and Crysencio Summerville have all been linked with transfers this summer
- United have identified Fernandes and Summerville as potential targets
Crysencio Summerville has been linked to Man Utd – Would you like to see us sign him? What is he worth?
Man Utd fans will be watching Crysencio Summerville vs Sweden
There are many reasons for United fans to keep track of the ongoing World Cup.
Not only do United have their own players competing at the tournament, including Amad Diallo, but it’s also an opportunity to keep track of transfer targets.
Summerville will be in action when the Netherlands take on Sweden in their second group game on Saturday.
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