West Ham 'want to sell' Mateus Fernandes' as Man United told price that will get deal done - expert
Mateus Fernandes' departure from West Ham United is just a matter of time amid growing interest from Manchester United this summer.
That is according to former Manchester City financial adviser Stefan Borson, who exclusively told Football Insider that the Hammers want to, and may even have to, cash in on the young star.
Graham Potter was the figure in charge when the Irons signed Fernandes from Southampton for an initial £38million, and it could be Nuno Espirito Santo who bids him farewell.
Man United are said to be leading the race for the 21-year-old's signature, even with strong interest from PSG, but it is expected that an eye-watering fee is needed to secure a deal.
Reports have suggested that Nuno's side are willing to fend off bids that don't match the Hammers' demands, and that will be music to supporters' ears.
However, with the transfer fees that are being rumoured this summer, Borson believes that the Irons will not want to miss out on such a lucrative payday.
West Ham won't keep hold of Mateus Fernandes
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Borson explained that the Saints' sell-on fee is likely playing a role in West Ham's decision-making this summer.
"They need one buyer, and [Manchester] United and PSG are interested. Both of those teams could do that deal, but it seems like a lot of money," he said.
"They paid £38m. They've got a very big sell-on to Southampton for him. So, they're just not going to be that excited by selling him for any less than £65m or £70m.
They'll go, 'We bought a player, he works, therefore we should make a profit. Why would we not?' He's very young. He's got a long contract.
"Likewise, they do want to sell him. They say they'll happily hold on to him, but I'm sure that's not true. West Ham will have to sell him. So, I would imagine he'll go for £75m plus £10m."
Who else could Nuno Espirito Santo lose this summer?
Rumours appear to have gone quiet at the London Stadium since the club's relegation to the Championship, but that is only likely to last for so long.
Although Jarrod Bowen is not expected to take a pay cut, like the rest of his teammates, multiple Premier League clubs are eyeing up a move for the goalscoring winger.
El Hadji Malick Diouf, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Crysencio Summerville and Taty Castellanos are all emerging on team's wishlists.
Ultimately, it is going to be extremely difficult for the Hammers to hold onto all of these stars in the Championship, especially when Premier League and European sides come knocking.
Rather than fight a losing, it would make far more sense to cash in, capitalise on the transfer interest, and reinvest the money into new deals this summer.