José Mourinho Targets Mateus Fernandes for Real Madrid
José Mourinho has never been shy about drawing up big plans before walking through the doors at Real Madrid. This time is no different – and one of the first names on his wishlist is a surprise from a relegated side.
According to AS, the Portuguese coach has pinpointed West Ham United midfielder Mateus Fernandes as a priority target if Florentino Pérez wins the upcoming presidential election and hands him the keys to a new Bernabéu project.
A bright light in a dark West Ham season
West Ham’s season collapsed. The club dropped into the Championship, and much of the squad came under heavy scrutiny. Fernandes went the other way. At 21, he emerged as one of the few genuine positives in a miserable campaign.
He played 36 Premier League games, scored three goals and laid on four assists. Those numbers don’t scream superstardom, but the performances behind them did the talking: energy across the pitch, tackles and interceptions in his own half, composure on the ball, and the courage to drive forward when everything around him was falling apart.
That blend has caught the eye of several major clubs across Europe. It has also convinced Mourinho that the fellow Portuguese has the right profile to thrive in Madrid’s midfield, where intensity and personality matter as much as technique.
Mourinho’s vision for Madrid’s next midfield
Mourinho is already sketching out his vision for a new Real Madrid side. The message from AS is clear: Fernandes is not just a name on a long list; he is one of the most intriguing options in the plan.
The coach sees him as a midfielder who can bring exactly what Madrid lacked last season – legs, balance, and character. Someone who can press, cover ground, and still influence the game in possession. In Mourinho’s eyes, Fernandes fits the modern Bernabéu brief: young, hungry, and tactically flexible.
Improved relations between Real Madrid and super-agent Jorge Mendes only add fuel to the story. Mendes, long a central figure in the Madrid-Mourinho axis, could again become a key broker if the club decide to move decisively.
A deal lined with complications
Relegation usually weakens a selling club’s hand. In theory, West Ham dropping to the second tier opens the door. In practice, the door is heavily guarded.
Liverpool and Arsenal are both closely monitoring Fernandes’ situation, adding Premier League competition to Madrid’s interest. Any club wanting to test West Ham’s resolve will likely have to start the conversation around the £80 million mark – a figure that immediately tests how serious the suitors are.
That price is the first major obstacle. It does not scare Mourinho. For him, the investment can be justified if it secures a midfielder capable of reshaping the team’s rhythm and edge in the centre of the pitch.
So the picture is set: a new Madrid project on the horizon, a coach with a clear idea of the profile he wants, a relegated gem in Mateus Fernandes, and a market that will not come cheap. If Pérez returns to power and backs Mourinho, the question is simple – will Real Madrid push hard enough to win a battle that England’s elite have already joined?
