'It's unfair on him' - Southampton view given on £80m West Ham, Mateus Fernandes situation | OneFootball

The Portuguese midfielder's situation has been the main EFL transfer story this summer

West Ham United and Southampton are set to enter the 2026/27 Championship season in extremely differing circumstances, although the squads at both the London Stadium and St Mary's remain packed with star names as things stand.

Indeed, the Hammers have been relegated from the Premier League for the first time in 14 years under the management of Nuno Espírito Santo, but the 52-year-old Portuguese recently confirmed he would stay on as head coach after initial uncertainty.

West Ham are already being viewed as the division's pre-season title favourites under the guidance of the one-time league winner from his days at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Saints, meanwhile, are already at the foot of the Championship table before a ball has been kicked after being deducted four points in the wake of the Spygate scandal, which also saw them expelled from the 2025/26 play-off final which Hull City went on to win against Middlesbrough.

It was an extremely sour end to what was, beforehand, a ridiculously positive period under Tonda Eckert, although it still remains to be seen if the German receives an FA ban after being retained as head coach on the South Coast by owner, Dragan Solak.

Yet, while the likes of Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Shea Charles and Leo Scienza are just three of the high-profile names generating exit talk from Saints, those within the hierarchy and in the stands at St Mary's have also got one eye on the transfer saga involving West Ham's prized asset, Mateus Fernandes, who was signed from their upcoming league rivals for an initial £38m 10 months ago.

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Indeed, Fernandes' performances for Southampton were a shining light in their relegation season of 2024/25, during which only 12 points were accumulated after he moved from Sporting CP in a £15m deal.

The 21-year-old continued his individual upward trajectory with West Ham last term too, even though he suffered the same fate for a second successive term, scoring three times and posting four assists in 36 league appearances.

However, with West Ham needing to generate over £100m in transfer fees this summer, the club have reportedly placed an £80m valuation on the one-time international's head, with Tottenham Hotspur ramping up their interest in his signature after seeing an initial bid for Newcastle United's Sandro Tonali turned down.

Meanwhile, Manchester United feel a £60m move for Fernandes is much more realistic, and that sentiment is somewhat shared by Football League World's Southampton fan pundit, Louis Harris, due to the fact Saints inserted a 15% sell-on clause at the time of his exit.

When asked if he could ever see his valuation reaching such a figure, Harris told FLW: "Not really.

"I don't think it's a true reflection of his actual value, but more about how much West Ham value him and want to keep him.

"Saying that, West Ham could really do with the money, and on top of that, I think Saints have got a sell-on clause, so it's a little inflated to cover that," he explained.

"But, you could see when he joined us that he was head and shoulders above others, really.

"I was gutted to see him leave, but he deserves to be playing in the Premier League," Harris claimed.

"I think that price will probably be negotiable, as I think it's unfair on him and (potentially) blocking him from getting a move for next season."

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It has also been claimed that West Ham are not in a rush to sell Fernandes, but the overarching perspective is that the midfield ace will not be playing in the Championship for the upcoming campaign.

Saints, of course, could see their own transfer kitty impacted by developments, as despite a four-point deficit, many would back the club to make a run for the play-offs at worst, which has now been expanded to six teams.

Furthermore, even a £60m sale for the Olhao native, even if it isn't the sum West Ham are looking for, would trump the Championship's record sale for a player, which, again, involved Southampton three seasons ago when Romeo Lavia joined Chelsea in a deal worth up to £53m.

Since then, circumstances haven't exactly gone to plan at Stamford Bridge for the midfielder, but many would back Fernandes to avoid such feats and remain a pivotal player for any top-level side in the years to come.