(Credit: Imago)

Jacob Raw

Tue 5 May 2026 17:45, UK

West Ham United may be braced for Mateus Fernandes’ exit, with Jordan James now on the Hammers’ radar.

The Irons only signed Fernandes from Southampton last summer, but despite the club’s poor season at the London Stadium, the midfielder has been a standout.

It’s not certain whether Nuno Espirito Santo‘s side will be playing in the Premier League next campaign or not, which only adds fuel to the fire with Fernandes.

Manchester United and Tottenham have been named along with other top-flight clubs who are interested in signing the Portuguese star this summer.

However, David Sullivan may already have a plan to replace him, as West Ham are hopeful of landing James this summer.

Jordan James and Mateus Fernandes have major similarities

West Ham Zone understands that James could join the Hammers this summer, with the Englishman set to return to his parent club Rennes, following the expiry of his loan deal with Leicester City.

It’s quite fitting that, like Fernandes, James was arguably the best performer for the Foxes, who have now had their relegation to League One confirmed.

However, James will be returning to the French Ligue 1 this summer with Rennes, who will need to decide the next steps for the youngster.

As seen in the table above, the 21-year-old has similarites to Fernandes, with the pair of the same age and position.

The only major difference is that James tends to play in more of an advanced midfield role, whereas Fernandes gets stuck in defensively.

Given the fact that the Hammers are looking to sign the Ligue 1 ace, they may have already accepted that Fernandes will move on this summer, regardless of what division they are in.

Why West Ham’s fate will not decided Fernandes’ future

Even if the Hammers stay up this season, the work that will need to be done this summer will be nothing short of full blown surgery.

There are too many players earning an unsustainable amount of money for the price they cost the hammers, and Sullivan will be preparing to offload them.

It’s safe to say that it won’t be a summer of major spending, which won’t sound too pleasing for Fernandes, whose form demands a team built around him.

The youngster knows that he can go on to better things, and that’s why West Ham may be resigned to losing him, regardless of where they end up.

Either way, James would be shrewd business, and would cost less than the £42m that the Hammers spent on Fernandes last summer.