West Ham should only sell Mateus Fernandes to Spurs if £300k star comes the other way | OneFootball

West Ham should try to ensure Alfie Devine heads to the London Stadium if they sell Mateus Fernandes to Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur have become the latest big-name club linked with West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes.

The 21-year-old had yet another standout season in the Premier League last year, even if it did end in relegation once again, as it did with Southampton in his debut campaign in the English top flight.

Fernandes earned his first senior cap for Portugal towards the end of last term, despite the Hammers' shortcomings, and there are plenty of elite clubs across Europe who are keen on seeing him continue his development with them next season, with West Ham expected to offload him ahead of the Championship campaign.

The Athletic have reported that Tottenham, who survived in the Premier League on the final day last season at West Ham's expense, are set to join the race for the midfielder, who has Manchester United, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain among his suitors.

Whoever does win that race, though, will have to part ways with a sizable fee. With no release clause in Fernandes' contract, the Hammers are demanding £80 million for their most saleable asset to kick off a summer where they have to raise £150 million in player sales due to their relegation.

West Ham should aim to take Alfie Devine in a potential Tottenham Hotspur, Mateus Fernandes switch

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With Fernandes commanding such a large fee in the early stages of the transfer window, it'll be a surprise to see any of the linked sides, such as Tottenham, part ways with their asking price, instead of waiting until nearer the start of the season, where West Ham may be forced to sell for less.

There may also be some bargaining from the interested sides to try to lower the price in the meantime, which could include certain add-ons or even player swaps to sweeten the deal.

If West Ham go down the Spurs route, they should definitely be looking to take Alfie Devine to the London Stadium to aid in filling the gap that Fernandes will leave in the creative role in the engine room.

Devine, who moved to Tottenham in 2020 for just £300,000 as a scholar from Wigan Athletic in 2020 in the wake of the Tics' administration, scored on his Spurs debut against Marine in the FA Cup in January 2021, becoming the youngest goalscorer in Tottenham's history.

He's made just one senior appearance for Spurs since, but is still highly rated amongst the Tottenham fold, signing a new contract before heading out on loan to Preston North End for the 2025/26 campaign.

At Deepdale, he arguably had the best season of his young career thus far, appearing in all but one of the Lilywhites' Championship outings, scoring eight and assisting six, establishing himself as a top attacking midfielder in the second tier.

Per Fotmob, he was in the top 10% of players in his position in the second tier for chances and big chances created, touches in the opposition box, shots on target and goals. For a team like West Ham, who will likely be on top in the majority of games they'll play next season, he'd be a brilliant addition as and when Fernandes leaves.

West Ham would still gain a sizeable amount for a Mateus Fernandes sale, even if Alfie Devine is included

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Arguably, the Hammers should be interested in bringing Devine to the London Stadium permanently this summer, irrespective of whether Fernandes heads the other way.

Following the 21-year-old's brilliant season at Deepdale, it was reported that Preston had triggered an option to buy the midfielder for a fee in excess of £5 million. For someone who is already on the cusp of being one of the top attacking midfielders in the Championship, and with the potential to improve further, that'd be a steal.

If Tottenham only values him at a high seven-figure fee, then even if he's added to sweeten a potential Fernandes transfer with West Ham, the Hammers should still be able to recoup at least £60 million, if they stick to around their valuation, and have a replacement come the other way.

That way, the higher-ups at the London Stadium can use that money to improve elsewhere and bring in more young prospects of Devine's ilk who could easily make the step-up into the Premier League with them if they return this season.