All eyes were on Will Still’s press conference as the Southampton coach fronted up to the media just hours after West Ham United moved to within touching distance of signing Mateus Fernandes.
West Ham are set to sign Mateus Fernandes for a fee in the region of £40 million, having seen two previous bids reportedly fall short of an asking price the Saints were reluctant to budge from.
And, understandably, Will Still is disappointed to lose one of his star players just days before the window closes.
Speaking ahead of Saturday’s trip to Watford, the man in charge at Southampton has now confirmed that Fernandes ‘wants to leave’, while telling West Ham United that they are about to get themselves an ‘incredibly good player’.
One who should bring the intensity, creativity and athleticism Graham Potter’s current roster is so obviously lacking.
Will Still confirms Mateus Fernandes wants to leave Southampton for West Ham United
Mateus Fernandes was left out of Southampton’s squad for the 3-0 midweek Carabao Cup thrashing of Norwich City.
And while Still said at Carrow Road that the Portugal Under-21 international had been omitted purely because he played the full 90 minutes a few days earlier, it does not take an expert mind-reader to realise that something else may have been at play.
“Matty is obviously a fantastic football player and a good human, but Matty wants to leave,” Still told the Daily Echo during his Thursday press conference. “Then it becomes incredibly difficult to keep him at the football club.
“I think the best thing for everyone is that he moves on and that he does what he needs to do, and we focus on people who want to be here, who want to build something.”
West Ham land an ‘incredibly good player’ in Portugal’s World Cup hopeful
Still dropped an intriguing hint about Fernandes’ future a week ago, suggesting that the Sporting Lisbon academy graduate had been encouraged to leave St Mary’s by Portugal boss Roberto Martinez ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
A point the Hammers-supporting 32-year-old now clarifies seven days later.
“Matty has been unbelievable for the time that he has been here. He is one of those others that has been put under pressure from national teams as well,” Still adds. “He wants to go to the World Cup next year, he wants to be a part of the Portuguese team, which I get.
“And if West Ham get him, they have got an incredibly good player.
“It allows us in another space to bring in extra quality and people who eventually want to be here. I think it’s mixed feelings. I understand the frustration,” the coach adds, Southampton expected to spend £12 million of that Fernandes windfall on Middlesbrough schemer Finn Azaz.
“Ultimately, when players don’t want to be here and want to move on, then you get into a situation that is tricky for everyone, so that’s where we’re at.”
In addition to Fernandes, West Ham are closing in on Monaco’s Soungoutou Magassa as well. Fabrizio Romano reports that Magassa will join for an initial £14 million, rising to £17 million, while the Hammers have survived a late hi-jack from Eintracht Frankfurt.
