Liverpool eyeing repeat of legendary signing that’ll ruin £94m Man Utd double deal | OneFootball

Liverpool have joined the race for West Ham United star Mateus Fernandes, according to a report, and it could disrupt Manchester United’s plans for a masterful double signing.

Fernandes is a 21-year-old midfielder who was born in Olhao, Portugal, and developed in Sporting CP’s famed academy. He went on to play 10 times in their first team, while also having a loan spell at fellow Portuguese club Estoril.

Fernandes subsequently joined Southampton in August 2024 and was one of their bright sparks during what was a tough campaign, notching four goals and seven assists in 46 matches.

This saw the player earn a £42million switch to West Ham last summer as Southampton were relegated.

In a brutal twist, Fernandes could be relegated again, as West Ham are fighting for survival. But the Portugal U21 ace has proven he is far too good to drop down to the Championship, putting him in line for another top-flight move.

In an interview with Anfield Index, Liverpool journalist David Lynch has revealed that the Reds are monitoring Fernandes’ situation and could launch a bid if West Ham’s relegation is confirmed.

“We’ve seen in the past that Liverpool always like these sort of opportunities if they are there,” he said.

“If there’s a player that shows up well in the numbers and they get relegated, then it becomes so much easier to get a deal done, so they will be keeping an eye on that.

“Liverpool aren’t daft, and they do keep their eye on these things.”

When asked about Fernandes in particular, Lynch added: “Yeah, he looks like a really good player, and they are in trouble.

“He’s only 21 and he looks like a real talent and suits the Premier League a lot.”

Liverpool signing Fernandes would see them repeat the brilliant £8m deal which took Andy Robertson from relegated Hull City to Anfield in July 2017.

Robertson went on to become a modern-day Liverpool legend, registering 68 assists in 367 games to date and helping the Reds win trophies such as the Champions League and two Premier League titles.

It emerged on Sunday that rivals Man Utd are spying a potential £94m (€108m / $125m) double deal for Fernandes and his West Ham team-mate Jarrod Bowen.

We revealed on Friday that Bowen sees his future as ‘very open’ amid interest from both United and Tottenham Hotspur.

Bowen another candidate to leave West Ham

The forward, like Fernandes, would be a prime candidate to leave West Ham if they were relegated, and his price tag sits at around £52.5m (€60m / $71m).

But Liverpool could scupper United’s plans by getting to Fernandes first. It will be interesting to see whether Bowen re-emerges as a target for the Anfield club, too.

Previous Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was a huge admirer of the Englishman, prompting years of links between the two parties.

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Meanwhile, our sources state that the Saudis have significantly reduced what they are willing to offer for Salah.