Credit: Imago

James Barker

Sat 23 May 2026 9:10, UK

Preston Fearon looks ready to take over from Mateus Fernandes if the star midfielder leaves West Ham United this summer.

Indeed, that is what is expected to happen with the Portuguese international, as a host of top clubs across European football are reportedly preparing to swoop.

That will come as little surprise to anyone connected with West Ham, as the 21-year-old has been a revelation at the London Stadium in 2025-26.

He will prove to be a difficult player to replace, and Hammers chiefs will no doubt look to reinvest into the engine room if/when he does depart.

But, instead of going shopping in the transfer market, West Ham may be wise to call on the “Academy of Football” to find Fernandes’ replacement.

How Preston Fearon has fared in West Ham’s academy this season

Fearon has been tipped for West Ham success ever since he signed for the Hammers in 2015, after being released from Chelsea’s academy system.

Now 19, the England youth international has been turning heads in the Irons’ youth sides ever since, all the while building his reputation as one of their brightest young emerging talents.

His potential and ability was made clear when he was named as the winner of the Dylan Tombides Award in May 2025, which is presented annually to West Ham’s most outstanding academy scholar in honour of Tombides, who passed away in 2014 aged 20 from testicular cancer.

Fearon hasn’t yet been handed a first-team opportunity, but that may well come in 2026-27, especially if Fernandes leaves and even likelier still if the Hammers are in the Championship.

Scoring 10 times and providing three assists from 37 total appearances for West Ham’s Under-21s in 2025-26, the versatile central midfielder has enjoyed a career campaign.

As per FotMob, Fearon registered 16 shots on target in Premier League 2 this past season, with no defensive midfielder in that league having more than that.

He also completed 940 passes, 61 accurate long balls and created 32 chances, which ranked him in the top 1.2, 1.8 and 2.4 percentiles among his positional peers.

No defensive midfielder in Premier League 2 took more than his 1,426 touches in that league last season either, whilst the teenager also took 54 touches in the opposition box.

Clearly far more than a defensive midfielder, Pearson has the same box-to-box ability as Fernandes has, and shares the same profile of being able to play at six, eight and 10.

Do Fearon’s defensive numbers suggest he’s ready?

This versatility and ability to play at both ends of the pitch is why Fernandes is so good, with his 98 tackles and 356 defensive contributions ranking him in the top 6.3 and 12.7 percentiles of Premier League central midfielders this season.

If Fearon is to make the ascension into the first-team for 2026-27, then there needs to be confidence that he can handle the defensive and physical side of the senior game, especially as a defensive midfielder.

However, his underlying numbers from Premier League 2 in 2025-26 certainly suggest he could, as Fearon’s 32 tackles won placed him in the top 14.9 percentile of players in his position.

Fearon also made 24 interceptions and 121 recoveries, with none of his positional rivals being able to better his number for the latter.

So, particularly if West Ham do get relegated, they may well be forced to look towards some of their standout academy talents to help manage a tricky financial situation, and Fearon must be at the top of the academy pecking order.