Graham Potter certainly played quite a key role in Mateus Fernandes’ decision to make an immediate return to the Premier League with West Ham United.
A dismal start to the season and the subsequent fan fury may have had weaker men running for the hills.
But on the day when Graham Potter spoke glowingly about the ex-Southampton ace and the ‘personality’ he demonstrated when grabbing the chance to help turn around a sinking ship with a rusted hull, Mateus Fernandes opened up on his highly-productive talks with the man in the West Ham United dugout.
The Sporting Lisbon academy graduate feels that he and the Hammers are a ‘good fit’. He describes the project on offer as ‘fantastic’ – music to the ears of supporters fretting about the current direction of travel – while admitting that Potter’s possession-based approach is one he is tailor-made for.
Fernandes also spoke to former Saints teammates Kyle Walker-Peters and Maxwel Cornet before signing a five-year deal.
But, as Will Still reluctantly accepts on Fernandes’ decision to pursue a fresh challenge, the Southampton coach insists that there was another reason underpinning his decision.
Will Still reveals the big reason why Mateus Fernandes left Southampton for West Ham United
Still did hint last week that there were a couple of players in his Southampton squad who had been urged to pursue a fresh start in order to boost their hopes of featuring at the 2026 World Cup.
Clearly, Fernandes was one of those.
The Algarve-born dynamo is yet to make his senior debut for the Portuguese national team. He was left out of Roberto Martinez’s squad for September’s World Cup qualifying clashes with Hungary and Armenia, too.
But, with another season of top-flight football now awaiting him, Fernandes has an early leg-up in his battle to secure a seat on the plane across the Atlantic next summer.
“Early on, Matty came and said; ‘Gaffer, I respect you, and it would be interesting to work with you. But I think I need to be playing in the top five leagues and I need to stay in the Premier League. I want to go to the World Cup’,” Still tells the Daily Echo.
“When he was back from his holidays and his international stuff, he made it pretty obvious, which I’m totally fine with.
“He then got told that if he were to leave, then the price has to be met, and everyone has to come out of it in the right situation. I think that is the case.
“It’s just life. Matty wants to move on and that’s it. I’m not talking badly about him, but I’d rather work with people who actually want to be here.”
Roberto Martinez admits West Ham newbie is on the verge of a Portugal call-up
Fernandes could make his West Ham debut during Sunday’s trip to Nottingham Forest.
Impress straight off the bat in his new claret and blue jersey – the midfielder inherits the number 18 shirt previously worn by Frank Lampard and Pablo Fornals – and a first Portugal appearance may be potentially only weeks away with further international breaks to come in October and November.
During his own press conference, in the aftermath of Fernandes’ initial £40 million switch to East London, former Everton, Wigan and Swansea City coach Martinez confirmed that he is now within touching distance of a call-up.
“We have a group of players who are close to the national team. [Sporting’s Ricardo] Mangas, [Cercle Brugge’s Flavio] Nazinho, [Juventus’] Joao Mario, Mateus Fernandes, [and Chelsea starlet Geovany] Quenda.
“The important thing is to create a competitive group, but the national team is open [for newcomers].”
