Soccer
Mateus Fernandes has revealed Roberto De Zerbi was the key to persuading him to join Tottenham, as he promised to be the midfielder’s “second dad”.
Fernandes sealed an £85m move from West Ham to Spurs earlier this summer, becoming the club’s record signing – only for that mark to be beaten by Sandro Tonali’s £100m transfer shortly afterwards.
He had previously been linked with a move to Manchester United, and the former Hammer has now revealed De Zerbi’s role in coaxing him to Spurs.
“The desire of playing for a big club, winning games, to fight for the Premier League, for the first place,” Fernandes told The Athletic, when asked how De Zerbi sold the move.
“The way he spoke with me and my family was very important to me.
“He was calling me every day, so I’m very happy to work with him, and hopefully we can do great things.
“It was more about [forming a] connection, because my dad and my mum don’t speak English very well. It was more about feelings.
“He said he would take care of me, that he would be my second dad in England. I’m very happy to work with him.”
Bringing N17 to Sydney (again). pic.twitter.com/pZVpGB4zCS
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) August 1, 2026
The Portuguese midfielder has suffered back-to-back relegations with Southampton and West Ham but enjoyed a fine individual campaign with the latter in 2025-26.
He scored five goals and registered four assists in 39 appearances in all competitions.
He won more tackles (73) and duels (214) than any other West Ham player last season, while only Jarrod Bowen (53) created more chances than Fernandes’ 42.
While he is expecting to be fighting at the other end of the Premier League this time around, Fernandes acknowledged he has learned a lot of lessons from his previous two seasons in England.
“This is football, this is life,” he said. “You need to learn about everything.
“The first season, at Southampton, was the most difficult because I was living alone in another country. I didn’t speak English, and I didn’t have anybody there who spoke Portuguese or Spanish, so it was a little bit difficult.
“It was important to go to West Ham and prepare for the season well. These two seasons, I learned a lot off the pitch — take my time after games, do other things, and I’m much more ready now than two years ago.
“I was very happy at Southampton and West Ham. They always showed me a lot of love, and they took care of me. I’m ready for this step as well.”
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