Southampton have secured the services of Mateus Fernandes, a talented midfielder from Sporting, the reigning Portuguese champions. The newly-promoted Premier League club announced on Tuesday that Fernandes has signed a five-year contract with the club.
Fernandes, a product of Sporting's youth academy, spent the previous season on loan at Estoril, another Portuguese top-flight club. During his time there, the 20-year-old made 28 appearances and played a crucial role in helping Estoril reach their first cup final in 80 years.
According to reports from British media, Southampton have agreed to pay a fee in the region of 15 million pounds ($19.54 million) to acquire the promising young midfielder.
"I'm very happy to be here, it's a dream come true to come to England and play in the Premier League," Fernandes said.
"It's the best league in the world, in my opinion. It has the best coaches, the best players, the best teams. It's good for me, for my growth and I'm happy."
Fernandes is the latest to become a part of manager Russell Martin's squad, after Chile striker Ben Brereton Diaz from Villarreal and Japanese midfielder Kuryu Matsuki from FC Tokyo recently signed with the club.
"Mateus is a player we have been monitoring for a while and someone we are really excited about," Martin said. "He brings great energy, retains possession well and always looks for the forward pass.
"He is young and full of enthusiasm. With the ability he has to drive forward, we think he has some key attributes to really help us – not just in the future, given his age, but here and now in the Premier League."
Southampton commenced their Premier League season with a disappointing 1-0 defeat against Newcastle United in an away match. The Saints will be eager to bounce back as they prepare to host Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
