Mateus Fernandes Reveals De Zerbi Role In £85m Tottenham Transfer
Roberto De Zerbi convinced me to join Tottenham, says £85m signing Mateus Fernandes.
Tottenham signed West Ham's Mateus Fernandes for £85m, a move helped by talks with manager Roberto De Zerbi...
Tottenham landed Mateus Fernandes from West Ham in an £85m deal, with conversations with Roberto De Zerbi playing a key part in getting it done.
With pre-season ongoing, Fernandes should be back in training when the squad returns to London next week. He missed Friday’s open session at Accor Stadium because of a minor knock.
Fernandes was part of the West Ham side that went down last season, and Spurs moved quickly to sign him before Manchester United could make a move this summer.
De Zerbi is looking to reshape Tottenham’s midfield with young, technical players, and Fernandes fits that profile exactly.
“The way he (De Zerbi) spoke with me and my family was very important for me,” Fernandes said in an interview with The Athletic. “He was calling me every day, so I’m very happy to work with him, and hopefully we can do great things.
“It was more about (forming a) connection, because my dad and my mum don’t speak English very well. It was more about feelings. He said he would take care of me, that he would be my second dad in England. I’m very happy to work with him.”
Fernandes Credits De Zerbi Talks For Tottenham Move
In an interview with The Athletic, Fernandes said conversations with the Italian boss were what convinced him to join Tottenham in North London.
🚨🎙️ #THFC’s Mateus Fernandes on his injury rumours, and CONFIRMS he just has fatigue: 😅🇵🇹
— Hotspur Lane (@HotspurLane) August 2, 2026
"I saw my friends, they started to call me. They asked 'What's happened? What's happened? You're injured?' No, I'm just a little bit fatigued, but it's not too serious and now I'm ready.”… pic.twitter.com/eHkPCtjTrI
Pedro Porro also played a big part in the move, Fernandes said, recalling what the defender told him:
“Come on Mateus, you need to play with us, we want you,” he said. “It was me that told the manager to bring you.”
Fernandes is set to partner Sandro Tonali in central midfield for Tottenham next season, in what’s shaping up to be a very exciting squad under De Zerbi.
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