Mateus Fernandes is a player who Arsenal should not overlook due to the level he’s playing at after previous strong moves by similar profiles
Arsenal are interested in West Ham United midfielder Mateus Fernandes, football.london understands. The Portuguese international has impressed the recruitment team in north London following good spells with the Hammers and Southampton, despite playing in sides at the bottom end of the Premier League table.
At just 20 years of age, Fernandes has adapted well to the rigours of the English top flight, scoring three times and assisting a further three for the relegation battlers. He was close to ending Arsenal’s own Premier League title hopes after forcing two miraculous stops by both David Raya and Gabriel Magalhaes last weekend.
The Gunners are in the market for a midfielder this summer, with changes to the squad expected. Christian Norgaard has played around an hour of Premier League football despite his ongoing availability.
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Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi have played the bulk of the minutes, with Myles Lewis-Skelly a recent addition, as the Spaniard’s form has dipped, associated with the volume of matchday exposure during his first season in the Premier League. It is clear Mikel Arteta needs to find a new solution for his side’s midfield selection.
Norgaard’s exit this summer is already being mooted, while Lewis-Skelly is by no means guaranteed to continue in the role despite impressing and the vindicated clamouring by supporters. Fernandes certainly would offer the quality of depth that Norgaard does not.
However, Fernandes is much more of a box-to-box midfielder than a number six like the Dane. This would see Rice take up more responsibility in that deeper role compared to what he has done so far this season, and this could further Lewis-Skelly’s midfield ambitions too.
Fernandes ranks in the top 29% of Premier League central midfielders for pass completion (87.4%) according to FotMob. He enjoys an accurate long pass too (3.29 per 90), ranking in the top 7% with a 62.3% accuracy rating, which is a trait perhaps Viktor Gyokeres might enjoy.
He’s not been a regular shot-taker this season, despite his performance against Arsenal, at 0.79 shots per game, 0.19 on target per match. However, this might be more to do with the context of the side he’s playing in and the lack of opportunities the Hammers get compared to their rivals.
Some have already begun to turn their noses up at Fernandes, but they shouldn’t be so quick to judge him for just his six-goal contributions. It took some players in the middle or bottom end of the Premier League table to make the jump to an elite club before unlocking their true potential.
Vitinha at Wolves, Andrew Robertson with Hull, Raphinha with Leeds United or arguably Michael Olise at Crystal Palace. Certainly promise, but their true quality was unlocked when they joined the big clubs.
Fernandes, therefore, should not be ruled out because at his age in the Premier League, the signs are already so positive.
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