West Ham United will ask even more for star midfielder Mateus Fernandes than previously thought, with a new report revealing the price has climbed to $113.9 million (£85 million).
It’s an increase of just under $7 million on earlier estimates for the 21-year-old talent, who is considered unlikely to remain a West Ham player following the club’s relegation from the Premier League to the EFL Championship last month.
A transfer for that sum would put Fernandes comfortably in the top 10 most expensive players ever sold by English teams—it’s more than even the 2009 world record move that saw Cristiano Ronaldo leave Manchester United for Real Madrid.
Fabrizio Romano shared on YouTube his information that West Ham have “decided” the $113.9 million valuation, following initial contact between potential buyers and the player’s entourage.
Man Utd ‘in Talks’ with Fernandes, Potential Competition
It is suggested by the transfer specialist that Manchester United, in their ongoing search for new midfielders, have established contact with Fernandes’s representatives in recent days. That is usually the initial step to a prospective transfer, as the buying club first looks to gauge interest from the player in joining them, but also learn salary expectations to plug into the eventual overall cost.
According to Romano, United have “started the conversation” with the people close to Fernandes.
The Red Devils, who are in the final stages of a deal for Atalanta and Brazil midfielder Éderson but still perhaps need two more new bodies on top, are not the only interested team.
There are “a lot of clubs” tracking the player, both within England and further afield. Rumor has it that Real Madrid are among those interested, given that midfield is also an area of concern requiring considerable surgery ahead of next season—Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić have never been replaced.
Why Is West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes Valuation So High?
Fernandes came to prominence at Southampton in 2024–25, only his second season in a top-flight team. He impressed despite the Saints being relegated and joined West Ham last August for a transfer fee reported to be $56.8 million (£42 million), after add-ons.
The Portuguese midfielder, capped by his country but not selected for the 2026 World Cup, is not served by the Championship after proving himself in back-to-back Premier League seasons.
But West Ham have so much invested in Fernandes and need to turn a significant profit, given that Premier League ‘parachute payments’ cover only some of the lost revenue caused by relegation.
A sell-on clause negotiated by Southampton last year also means that the Hammers won’t bank 100% of any transfer fee—a reported 15% cut is due to Fernandes’s former club. That puts additional pressure on West Ham to extract as much money as possible from a sale, given that the threshold for making profit on the deal is actually significantly higher than it initially seems.
Most Expensive Players Sold by English Clubs
| Player | Transfer | Fee | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander Isak | Newcastle to Liverpool | $167.5 million | 2025 |
| Philippe Coutinho | Liverpool to Barcelona | $140.7 million | 2018 |
| Jack Grealish | Aston Villa to Man City | $134 million | 2021 |
| Declan Rice | West Ham to Arsenal | $134 million | 2023 |
| Moisés Caicedo | Brighton to Chelsea | $134 million | 2023 |
| Eden Hazard | Chelsea to Real Madrid | $119.3 million | 2019 |
| Harry Kane | Tottenham to Bayern Munich | $115.8 million | 2023 |
| Gareth Bale | Tottenham to Real Madrid | $114.3 million | 2013 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Man Utd to Real Madrid | $107.2 million | 2009 |
| Harry Maguire | Leicester to Man Utd | $107.2 million | 2019 |
Quoted fees exclude add-ons, converted from GBP (£) to USD ($) at today’s rate.
