West Ham Seal £40m Move for Southampton’s Fernandes

West Ham United have officially signed Portuguese Under-21 midfielder Mateus Fernandes from Championship side Southampton in a deal worth more than £40 million ($54 million). The Premier League club announced the signing on Friday.

According to Punch, the 21-year-old midfielder has agreed to a five-year contract with the struggling London side, who currently sit at the bottom of the Premier League table after losing their first two matches of the season.

West Ham also suffered disappointment in the English League Cup earlier this week, crashing out after squandering a two-goal lead against Wolves.

“I’m very happy to be here, and I’m very excited to play for West Ham,” Fernandes said. “It’s a big step for me. It’s a big club, a massive club. The project, the stadium, the city, everything. I want to try to play football, enjoy football, not just run and try to score, but try to play good football. The most important thing is to try to give everything every day.”

West Ham manager Graham Potter, who is under pressure following the poor start, praised the new signing:
“Mateus is a young player who has made impressive progress in the early part of his career, and we are delighted to have secured his signing. He gained valuable experience in the Premier League last year with Southampton and is someone we really feel can help improve us and fit into what we are trying to build and develop at the club.

“We believe that his attributes and strengths will bring a different dimension to the squad and, from speaking to him, I know that he can’t wait to get started here. He has shown great maturity and character for someone so young, and we look forward to seeing his continued progress and impact at West Ham United.”