The Bloodiest Battle of Summer Transfers: Arsenal and Manchester United Clash Over 21-Year-Old Mateus Fernandes — PSG, City and 4 More Giants in the Race, Price €75M

One of the biggest battles in European football's summer transfer market has begun to emerge. Arsenal and Manchester United have come face to face for West Ham United's 21-year-old Portuguese midfield star Mateus Fernandes. According to The Times, Fernandes, who is the name at the center of Mikel Arteta's midfield renewal operation, is the young star who came from Southampton last summer for £38 million. The midfielder, who has played in 36 matches and produced 4 goals/3 assists statistics in a West Ham shirt this season, is being evaluated in Arteta's dream "new Declan Rice" role. However, Manchester United's INEOS management has accelerated the signing operation; the transfer clash is preparing to dominate the summer months.

West Ham's relegation has moved all the pieces. The Hammers are positioned in 18th place in the Premier League and enter the final two weeks with a two-point safety deficit. According to The Guardian, there is a hole of approximately $120 million in West Ham's budget even before relegation, and they have to make sales of at least that amount this summer. This situation made Fernandes's departure almost inevitable. According to the Daily Mail, West Ham must add £100 million (approximately $130 million) to the coffers if relegated — making it mandatory to sell star players like Jarrod Bowen, Crysencio Summerville, and Fernandes. The Hammers' minimum asking price has been set between 65-75 million Euros.

On the Arsenal front, strategic calculations have long been made. The Gunners didn't get the expected output from Christian Norgaard, whom they transferred from Brentford at the start of this season; the 32-year-old Danish midfielder has been unable to create visible impact in north London. Arteta's plan is clear: as soon as Norgaard is sold, Fernandes's signature will be added. According to The Times and TeamTalk, Arteta carries the pain of the League Cup final played against Manchester City — Arsenal were played off the park in that match, and this was the trigger for Arteta's search for a "technical midfielder." Although the Gunners have won the Premier League after 22 years, they are focused on enriching the team before the Champions League final on May 30. Liverpool legend Jan Molby said the following about Fernandes: "Exceptional, really exceptional. This boy isn't staying at West Ham, regardless of what happens. He has it all. He's mobile, technically very good. He reminds me of the two Portuguese midfielders who run and dominate at PSG. This boy is the real deal."

Manchester United stands out as the other main favorite in the race. INEOS management and Michael Carrick, who is closing in on the manager role, are looking for a young and technical name in their midfield. According to Sky Sports, Sandro Tonali is also on United's list — but Fernandes is the priority target. The Independent writes that Marcus Rashford's complex future with Barcelona is also added to the equation. United views Fernandes as a critical name for the successful midfield rotation that hasn't been achievable in recent years. Another Portuguese midfielder joining Bruno Fernandes at Old Trafford could create an Iberian connection similar to Cristiano Ronaldo's arrival in 2003 in club history.

The race isn't limited to Premier League clubs. According to Goal.com, Atletico Madrid was among 10 different clubs for the transfer last year. AC Milan has also joined the queue for a young Portuguese midfielder they could acquire from Serie A. However, the biggest threat comes from Paris Saint-Germain. The Guardian journalist Jacob Steinberg confirmed that Champions League winner PSG is also officially in the race: "West Ham will profit from Fernandes, the highly promising Portuguese midfielder who arrived from Southampton last summer for 38 million pounds. Fernandes is attracting interest from Arsenal, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain." PSG's sporting director Luis Campos is famous for bringing Portuguese talents to the European stage — the Paris careers of Goncalo Ramos, Vitinha, Joao Neves and Nuno Mendes prove this reality.

Fernandes's story is an example of a rapid but methodical rise. The young player from Sporting Lisbon's youth setup moved to Southampton last summer for approximately 15 million pounds after a one-year loan experience at Primeira Liga side Estoril. His performance in 36 Premier League matches put him on European clubs' radar despite Southampton's relegation. West Ham managed to sign him with a 40 million pound package. One season later, the Hammers are awaiting offers of more than 70 million pounds for the player — financially certain to make a major profit even if they get relegated sportingly. According to Sky Sports analysis, Fernandes seems inadequate in West Ham's defense but more on the attacking side — in a team based on ball possession like Arsenal or PSG, he can show his true potential. How the Fernandes transfer concludes this summer could shape the trajectory of the Premier League and European midfield market. The decision is expected to become clear in the coming weeks, immediately after Mikel Arteta's Champions League final.

Source: Based on reports from The Times, Goal.com, GiveMeSport, Sky Sports, TeamTalk, The Guardian (Jacob Steinberg), Roundtable.io, Daily Mail, TransferFeed and Flashscore on the Mateus Fernandes transfer.