Credit: Imago

Cameron Smith

Wed 20 May 2026 8:10, UK

West Ham United are in the middle of an intense relegation battle heading into the final day of the season.

The Hammers were handed a lifeline on Tuesday, with rivals Tottenham falling to defeat against Chelsea.

However, they will ultimately be relying on a result elsewhere on Sunday, with former boss David Moyes taking on Spurs with his Everton side.

Should Nuno Espirito Santo’s side descend to the Championship this weekend, sales will likely be in order over the summer, with midfielder Mateus Fernandes likely the first in line for a departure.

As a result, Championship outfit Southampton will be waiting for West Ham to cash in, after their own second-tier future was confirmed in the most bizarre circumstances this week.

Southampton will hope for cash from Mateus Fernandes sale

On Tuesday, English football was stunned when an independent panel gave the verdict that the Saints will be expelled from the playoffs after the recent spying incident.

Alongside the initial allegations from Middlesbrough, the South Coast club admitted to breaches ahead of fixtures with Oxford United and Ipswich Town.

The Saints were initially due to take on Hull City in the playoff final this Saturday, though their spot has been taken away, with Middlesbrough given just a matter of days to send their fans down from Teesside.

Alongside this, Tonda Eckert’s side have been handed a four point deduction for the 2026-27 campaign, though this could yet be taken away following appeal.

As a result, Southampton will be reliant on finances available to them over the summer, as they look to build a squad capable of achieving promotion, while they may even have to do some reconstructions, should there be an exodus following the bizarre incident.

Making the move from the South Coast last summer, Portuguese midfielder Fernandes has impressed for West Ham, with the youngster set to be one of the first in line for a departure should the Hammers fall to the Championship.

Southampton will be begging for Fernandes to be sold, with a 15 per cent sell-on clause placed in the 2025 deal, which could further bolster their accounts as they prepare for a second successive year of second-tier football – and potentially more.

West Ham will have slim hopes of avoiding Fernandes sale

As of now, Nuno’s side sit two points behind Tottenham heading into the final day.

The chances are slim, but there is still a chance of a turnaround on Sunday, with the Hammers facing a Leeds side riddled with injuries, who also happen to have little to play for at the London Stadium.

But the Irons are unfortunately reliant on an Everton result at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with the Toffees themselves having nothing to play for after being knocked out of the European race.

If West Ham were to survive, it would be by the skin of their teeth.

But the benefits this could bring would be huge, allowing Nuno to keep hold of key players, while the chance is there to go again and put this dismal campaign in the back of his memory.

With Fernandes, survival would be the key to any chances West Ham have of keeping hold of him this summer, while relegation could bring about wholesale changes at the London Stadium.