West Ham could be about to get a timely £10m cash boost, according to a close ally of David Sullivan — and it could be bad news for Southampton’s hopes of keeping Mateus Fernandes.
West Ham’s move for Southampton star Mateus Fernandes is at a deadlock – but that may not be for much longer.
Fernandes has become the last man standing for West Ham in their bid to rejuvenate Graham Potter’s woeful midfield options.
The Hammers have amassed a collection of midfielders who are all similar in profile, ageing, and seriously lacking in dynamism, pace, power, craft and guile.
It has been West Ham’s biggest problem since the sale of Declan Rice to Arsenal.
West Ham at deadlock over Saints star Fernandes
And between David Moyes, Tim Steidten, Julen Lopetegui and the owners the Irons have failed miserably in solving it.
Potter and head of recruitment Kyle Macaulay believe signing Southampton star Fernandes would go a long way to finally doing just that.
Despite Fernandes playing his part in one of the worst Premier League teams in history after arriving on the south coast for £15m last year, the 21-year-old was one of few shining lights in Southampton’s season of gloom.
Potter refused to speak about Fernandes in his press conference this week after it was widely reported the Hammers saw a £30m opening bid rejected by the Saints.
Photo by Matt Watson/Southampton FC via Getty Images
Southampton have reportedly told West Ham not to bother making a second bid unless it is worth at least £50m.
That figure seems somewhat outrageous given established Premier League stars like Jacob Ramsey and James McAtee have moved for far less in the last week.
West Ham faced a similar situation when trying to sign goalkeeper Mads Hermansen from Leicester.
The Foxes originally quoted the Hammers £35m plus for the Dane and West Ham walked away.
West Ham set for £10m injection as sales loom
But after some brinkmanship from West Ham, a deal was eventually done at less than £18m.
While Southampton don’t have the same kind of financial issues as Leicester, the hope is West Ham can work come to some sort of reasonable compromise over Fernandes.
Especially after Will Still gave West Ham encouragement with a big Southampton transfer admission this week.
Meeting in the middle of the two valuations, at around £40m, would seem like a sensible conclusion.
Now West Ham are set for a £10m injection which can bridge the Southampton gap for Fernandes.
Photo by Kevin C. Cox – Premier League/Getty Images for Premier League
After the signing of Hermansen, West Ham’s owners revealed they are looking to sell fringe players to help fund further additions.
Now, according to a close ally of Hammers majority owner – and de facto director of football – David Sullivan, West Ham are about to come in to some much-needed money doing just that.
Top West Ham insider Sean Whetstone is a confidant of Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady.
He has claimed that midfield duo Andy Irving and Guido Rodriguez are expected to leave West Ham soon.
It is claimed Irving will join a club in Scotland for between £3-3.5m after the Hammers previously rejected a £2.2m bid from Celtic.
Cash can help Hammers bridge Southampton gap for Fernandes
Rodriguez, signed on a free transfer last summer, is expected to move to a Saudi club ‘within the next seven days for around £6.5m’.
While there is also interest in Edson Alvarez, nothing is said to be close for the Mexican right now.
With £10m reportedly on the way, West Ham will be able to afford to up their offer to Southampton for Fernandes.
Whether the Saints bite if they do remains to be seen.
The Hammers will undoubtedly need to sign another midfielder even if they do land Fernandes with an improved offer.
So any funds raised from the sale of Alvarez, Emerson Palmieri – and possibly Konstantinos Mavropanos – will be needed to fund that and possibly a late move for a new centre-back too.