Daniel Kretinsky praised for 'crazy' West Ham deal as £60m Mateus Fernandes claim made | OneFootball

West Ham United's ownership has been praised following the historic deal to see Mateus Fernandes depart the club for £85 million to Spurs...

Mateus Fernandes' transfer from West Ham United to Tottenham Hotspur has been one of the major talking points of the summer transfer window across Europe so far.

Often we see players leaving the relegated Premier League sides for big fees to rejoin the Premier League, with James Maddison, Harvey Barnes, Moussa Sissoko, and Georginio Wijnaldum among those to have done so in recent times.

However, this is the second time in two seasons that Mateus Fernandes has made that switch, having left Southampton for West Ham United before in 2025 before joining Tottenham Hotspur for a fee of around £85 million this summer.

David Ornstein of The Athletic has revealed that fee and how they have beat Man United to his signature. The amount covers most of the cost needed for the Hammers this summer. It's been stated that West Ham are expected to sell players to raise £100 million following their relegation.

The West Ham United verdict on Spurs signing Mateus Fernandes

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FLW’s West Ham fan pundit Ryan Horn was asked about the fact his side are getting a guaranteed £85 million from Spurs for Fernandes. We asked if he can quite believe that such a fee is being paid for Fernandes’ services.

We also outlined that, even though Tottenham may be rivals, that’s a lot of money for what is now a Championship player. He responded: "Honestly, I am very surprised we got the money that we were holding out for. I thought we would get £60 million tops, being realistic.

"But under this new ownership (Daniel Kretinsky), I'm just absolutely ecstatic with it. As much as I hate that he's gone to Spurs, we have to realise that right now we are a Championship side, and we've had financial issues.

"We still have financial issues, but we need the money to rebuild. He's gone for a lot of money. It's crazy that that's how much money a Championship player is going for, but he has such great quality.

"I think you put him in a team where there's a lot of really good and strong players in their positions, he will excel. I could see him at a top side in a few seasons, barring any injuries or anything like that.

"I think he'll go right to the top and I think £85 million is a great deal for him. Hopefully, we will see that going forward. Hate that he's gone to Spurs but they are a Premier League side and we have to rebuild; we have to be realistic there."

Mateus Fernandes' sale could help retain Jarrod Bowen

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West Ham's financial outlook may not be quite as bleak as many supporters initially feared following relegation. The £85 million sale of Fernandes to Spurs has generated a huge and unexpected windfall. If Crysencio Summerville also departs for a substantial fee, the Hammers would comfortably be covering much of the financial impact of dropping into the Championship.

Those sales would provide the club with far greater flexibility than many expected, potentially allowing them to retain several other key players rather than sanctioning a mass exodus. That was what the majority of fans felt would be their reality in the coming summer months.

Instead, it looks like this sale could leave West Ham in a much stronger position to challenge for an immediate return to the Premier League. However, that being said, finances are only one part of the equation because some players may simply have no desire to spend a season in the second tier, regardless of the club's financial position.

As a result, West Ham's hierarchy will still need to balance more of the economic situation with the personal ambitions of individual squad members throughout what promises to be a pivotal transfer window. But could the situation now tempt Jarrod Bowen to play one season in the Championship? We'll have to wait and see.