Mateus Fernandes says he turned down Manchester United to join Tottenham Hotspur after leaving West Ham for a club-record £85m fee. The 22-year-old midfielder, who has experienced relegation from the Premier League with Southampton and last season with West Ham, attracted interest earlier in the summer, including reports that Michael Carrick wanted to bring him to Old Trafford. Fernandes credits his decision to conversations with Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi and right-back Pedro Porro. He says De Zerbi communicated with him frequently and spoke to his family, which helped build trust because his parents do not speak English well. Fernandes also points to De Zerbi’s emphasis on playing for a “big club,” aiming to win games and compete for major Premier League goals. In addition, Fernandes says Porro encouraged him directly, telling him that Tottenham wanted him and that he had urged the manager to sign him. After signing, Fernandes scores in a pre-season friendly and later features in Tottenham’s matches, although he is managed carefully to avoid risk. Tottenham’s Premier League season starts against Brentford on August 22.
Mateus Fernandes explains why he chose Tottenham over Man United
Mateus Fernandes says he turned down Manchester United to join Tottenham Hotspur after leaving West Ham for a club-record £85m fee. The 22-year-old midfielder, who has experienced relegation from the...
- Mateus Fernandes joins Tottenham from West Ham for a reported club-record fee of £85m.
- Fernandes says he rejected Manchester United and links his decision to talks with Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi.
- Fernandes adds that De Zerbi’s communication with him and his family, and Porro’s encouragement, influenced his choice.
- Porro is described as having contacted Fernandes and urged the club to sign him.
- Fernandes scores on his Tottenham debut in a pre-season match and is later used sparingly as Tottenham manage his fitness.
Former West Ham player, Mateus Fernandes, has disclosed the reasons behind his decision to join Tottenham Hotspur, instead of Manchester United this summer. He shared insights regarding his discussion with Tottenham boss, Roberto De Zerbi prior to the significant transfer. Following West Ham United’s relegation, Fernandes was widely rumoured to be leaving the club. Both […] Transfer: Why I snubbed Man United for Tottenham Hotspur – Mateus Fernandes
2 hours agoMateus Fernandes joined Tottenham from West Ham (Picture: Shutterstock) Mateus Fernandes has revealed the key reason he snubbed Manchester United to join Tottenham from West Ham. Spurs signed the Portuguese midfielder from London rivals West Ham last month for a club-record fee of £85m. Fernandes was relegated from the Premier League with Southampton before suffering the same fate last season with West Ham. Despite that, the 22-year-old attracted interest from a number of clubs earlier in the summer, with Michael Carrick reportedly keen to bring him to Old Trafford. Get personalised football updates every day Sign up to our daily football newsletter and choose your team to get the latest news, rumours and more direct to your inbox every morning. But Fernandes chose to join Tottenham and says conversations with Roberto De Zerbi and Pedro Porro proved crucial to his decision. Asked why he decided to sign for Spurs, Fernandes told The Athletic: ‘The desire of playing for a big club, winning games, to fight for the Premier League, for the title, ‘The way he [De Zerbi] spoke with me and my family was very important for me. He was calling me every day, so I’m very happy to work with him, and hopefully we can do great things. Fernandes in action for new club Spurs (Picture: Getty) ‘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 was also in touch with Tottenham defender Porro, who he played with while the pair were both at Sporting Lisbon. Roberto De Zerbi helped convinced Fernandes to join (Picture: Reuters) Recalling an exchange with Spain World Cup winner Porro, Fernandes said: ‘He called me one day — I didn’t answer because I was sleeping — he said, in Portuguese, “Come on Mateus, you need to play with us, we want you. It was me that told the manager to bring you.” ‘Then when everything was done, I spoke with him a bit about the club, the mentality in the team, the team-mates as well. ‘He’s an important player. He’s one of the best right-backs in the world. He’s a top guy.’ What a hit, Mateus Fernandes 💥Watch our pre-season games live on SPURSPLAY!— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) July 22, 2026 Fernandes scored on his Tottenham debut, a 1-0 pre-season friendly win over MK Dons, before featuring in their 2-0 victory over Auckland last week. Spurs’ club-record signing was left out of the second tour friendly against Sydney before also missing Saturday’s 2-1 win over London rivals Chelsea. ‘Mateus Fernandes can be available right now to play but we don’t want to take any risks with him,’ De Zerbi confirmed. Tottenham have two more pre-season friendlies – against Getafe and Hoffenheim – before their Premier League opener against Brentford on August 22. Spurs finished just 17th in the Premier League last season, only surviving relegation on the final day after De Zerbi’s positive impact at the expense of Fernandes’ former club West Ham. Fernandes is just one of several new faces at Tottenham alongside the likes of Sandro Tonali, Jan Paul van Hecke and Andy Robertson. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source
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