The new Tottenham Hotspur signing has made it clear exactly what the Italian head coach is expecting the north London club to aim for
Mateus Fernandes has hinted that Roberto De Zerbi has told him that he expects Tottenham Hotspur to fight for the Premier League title.
Spurs spent £85million on the 21-year-old midfielder to bring him from West Ham and are about to splash out another £100million on getting Sandro Tonali from Newcastle to join him in the centre of the park. That comes on top of the £52million spent to sign Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton and the three free transfers for Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dubravka.
Tottenham are making serious moves in the transfer market early in the window to ensure De Zerbi has the players to work with in pre-season so they can hit the ground running for a season that should be far better than the previous one that saw them escape relegation on the final day.
Fernandes spoke about the project presented to him by De Zerbi amid competition for his signature, with Manchester United in particular interested in signing him, and the Portuguese pointed towards the Italian’s big plans at the north London club to compete at the very top with their new-look squad in a season without European football.
“I’m very happy, I’m very excited for this next step. Of course, it’s a massive club. I already know the city and the country. I spoke with the manager. I think he was the main key for me to join Tottenham and the project. We will fight for the Premier League, we will fight for first place,” said the midfielder, who will wear the shirt number 18 for the club.
“The way he spoke with me, with my family, it was very special for me and for my family. So yeah, I’m very excited to meet him, to meet the fans, to meet everyone and try to do my best and enjoy the moment as well.”
FOLLOW OUR TOTTENHAM FB PAGE! Latest Spurs news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page
On his favourite position on the pitch, Fernandes added: “For me, I feel more happy when I play like a number eight, box to box. When I was in Southampton, I was playing more in front, like a winger, but I always play deeper when I was in Sporting. So I can play winger, I can play striker, I can play midfielder.
“I just want to help the team, to help my teammates improve my game as well. I know that I need to score more goals, give more assists, fight even more because I want to win titles.
“I always learned this when I was in Sporting, to play with the ball, to try to control the game, trying to use my head, you know, because it’s not just about who runs more or who fights more, it’s just who knows the timing to pass, to attack, to defend.”
One former team-mate gave the new Spurs signing the lowdown on what he was walking into before he put pen to paper on his long-term contract.
“I spoke with Pedro Porro as well. I played with him at Sporting and he spoke about everything. He spoke about the manager, the mentality, change in the group, the training ground, the stadium,” said Fernandes. “Of course, London, it’s a city that I know now, but he spoke about the city as well. And he told me many, many good things about the club. So I’m ready.”
Thousands of Tottenham Hotspur fans upgraded their matchday last season. This is how they did it.
Various Prices
Seat Unique
Buy official packages at Seat Unique
Official premium experiences at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium are available now for the 26/27 Premier League season. Make it easier than ever to turn a regular fixture into something genuinely unforgettable.
