West Ham must sign Abdul Fatawu & Celtic ace with £80m Mateus Fernandes windfall | OneFootball

West Ham should move for Arne Engels and Abdul Fatawu if they manage to sell Mateus Fernandes for £80m.

West Ham are set for a hectic period as they look to provide Nuno Espírito Santo with a squad that can win promotion back to the Premier League at the first attempt.

The Londoners will travel to Burnley on the opening day of the campaign, but there’s a lot of work to do in the market to ensure they are ready for that game.

Whilst the fans will be hoping to see new faces, the more pressing concern will be to raise funds, as, like all relegated clubs, West Ham will need some high-profile sales to help balance the books.

Mateus Fernandes sale can kickstart West Ham’s summer business

There are several players in the squad who would command substantial fees, but there’s no doubt that Mateus Fernandes is the most valuable player at West Ham right now.

The classy midfielder has been linked with a host of clubs across Europe, with the Irons determined to hold out for a deal in excess of £80m.

That could be the deal that really kickstarts West Ham’s summer business, so Nuno will be hoping it is sorted sooner rather than later, as he will be aware of the importance of working with as much of his squad as possible for pre-season.

With that in mind, we look at TWO players that the Irons should look to sign once Fernandes’ departure is confirmed…

Arne Engels

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West Ham will need to replace Fernandes, but, pleasingly for Nuno, he does have some exciting young players coming through the ranks.

The likes of Freddie Potts, Soungoutou Magassa and Mohamadou Kante could all benefit from the relegation, as it should give them more opportunities in the first-team, and fans will want to see them push on, as all three are very talented.

However, Nuno will still need to replace Fernandes with a more proven player, and they should push to sign Arne Engels.

Firstly, it should be said that this deal won’t be straightforward, as there is Premier League interest. But, West Ham are a big club, and if they can convince Engels of the project, combined with the fact he should have more game time, there’s no reason they won’t be able to land the Belgian.

Then, in terms of his quality, Engels has qualities that could effectively replace Fernandes.

The 22-year-old may not be as incisive with his passing as the ex-Southampton man, but he is good on the ball, with Engels having taken the set-plays for Celtic.

He registered 15 goal contributions in his first season, and followed that up with eight as Celtic regained their title on the final day.

Crucially, he also brings energy and pressing ability, like Fernandes, and he has real physicality, which was significant for Celtic during the run-in.

So, if West Ham can make it happen, Engels could quickly become an important figure in the XI.

Abdul Fatawu

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The Leicester winger is another player who has been linked with West Ham, and it’s a deal that they should look to finalise swiftly as Fatawu is a proven Championship performer.

Despite the Foxes’ relegation, Fatawu had an impressive individual campaign, scoring nine goals and providing seven assists, which is a very good return for a side that were struggling.

It seems inevitable that Crysencio Summerville will leave, and with Adama Traore departing as his contract expires, West Ham are low on out-and-out wingers.

Obviously, if they also sell Jarrod Bowen, then it’s going to quickly become a priority position for the recruitment team, but, even if the skipper stays, Fatawu would be a smart addition.

Some may feel it’s an issue that the Ghana international excels on the right, which is Bowen’s best role, but both players are good enough to play in different positions, if that’s what Nuno wanted.

Either way, when you consider Fatawu’s age, profile and potential, he is someone who could make a big impact at West Ham, for their promotion push next season, and in the long-term.