West Ham United have completed the signing of Portuguese Under-21 international Mateus Fernandes from Championship side Southampton, the Premier League club confirmed on Friday.
The 21-year-old midfielder has signed a five-year contract with the struggling London outfit in a deal reportedly worth over £40 million ($54 million).
Fernandes, who made his Premier League debut with Southampton last season before their relegation, becomes the Hammers’ most high-profile signing of the summer.
Speaking after the move, Fernandes expressed excitement about joining West Ham and vowed to give his best to help the club recover from their poor start to the season.
“I’m very happy to be here, and I’m very excited to play for West Ham,” Fernandes said.
“It’s a big step for me. It’s a massive club — the project, the stadium, the city, everything. I want to play good football and give everything every day.”
The Hammers have endured a torrid start to the campaign, losing both of their opening Premier League matches and crashing out of the English League Cup earlier this week after blowing a two-goal lead against Wolves.
They face Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Sunday, with manager Graham Potter under mounting pressure to turn the team’s fortunes around.
Reacting to the transfer, Potter praised Fernandes’ potential and described him as a vital addition to the squad.
“Mateus is a young player who has made impressive progress in the early part of his career, and we are delighted to have secured his signing,” Potter said.
“He gained valuable experience in the Premier League last year with Southampton and is someone we really feel can help improve us.
He has shown great maturity and character for someone so young, and we look forward to seeing his progress and impact at West Ham United.”
The signing of Fernandes is seen as a statement of intent by West Ham as they aim to strengthen their midfield options and climb off the bottom of the table.
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