Forget Mateus Fernandes – the three midfielders West Ham must target as another exit nears
West Ham are light in midfield and have been linked with Southampton star Mateus Fernandes, but a deal looks difficult.
Fernandes performed well despite Southampton’s relegation last season, and has now been targeted by the Hammers, ahead of Edson Alvarez’s loan move to Fenerbahce.
West Ham recently had a bid rejected for Fernandes, with Southampton wanting over £60 million for the midfielder.
It seems unlikely that West Ham will pay the asking price for Fernandes, and West Ham Zone has now listed three alternatives Graham Potter could target.
West Ham eye up Barcelona’s Marc Casado
West Ham have reportedly made a bid for Barcelona star Marc Casado, but this pursuit appeared to be doomed from the start, given his importance to the Spanish champions.
Casado would be a huge upgrade on James Ward-Prowse, and would arrive as a La Liga winner with bags of potential, but it appears unlikely that this interest will go any further.
Karren Brady has claimed that midfielders will be targeted, and the move for Casado was ambitious, but fans will still be sceptical that a new option is seriously being pursued.
- Read more: Barcelona’s stance on selling Marc Casado now revealed as West Ham receive clear asking price
Approach made for Chelsea’s Andrey Santos
West Ham have made another ambitious but unlikely approach, as they reportedly enquired about Chelsea sensation Andrey Santos.
Santos thrived on loan at Strasbourg last season, but is not thought to feature heavily in Enzo Maresca’s plans.
However, like Casado, Santos is thought to be an unrealistic target given Chelsea’s huge asking price, but if a deal becomes possible, the Brazilian would be a superb signing for the Hammers.
The 21-year-old could be a fresh young option to replace the likes of Ward-Prowse and Guido Rodriguez after they were both exposed against Sunderland, and his underlying statistics from Ligue 1 bode very well for the future.
West Ham interested in Roma’s Lorenzo Pellegrini
West Ham have also been linked with Roma star Lorenzo Pellegrini, who would arrive as an older but more proven option than the other two targets.
| Season | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 2021/22 | 41 | 14 | 8 |
| 2022/23 | 48 | 8 | 9 |
| 2023/24 | 41 | 10 | 5 |
| 2024/25 | 34 | 3 | 3 |
An enquiry was recently made, but at 29 and with a questionable recent injury record, Pellegrini could go down the same path other big-name arrivals have suffered in at West Ham.
The Italian has made over 300 appearances for Roma, and offers both creativity as well as controlled play in deeper areas.
Sign up for the West Ham Zone WhatsApp channel and turn on notifications to have all the latest, breaking West Ham United news sent straight to your phone.