Matheus Fernandes at West Ham vs. Wolves (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
Arsenal are reportedly interested in signing West Ham United midfielder Matheus Fernandes as a replacement for Christian Norgaard.
Gunners manager Mikel Arteta is a fan of proven Premier League players and versatile players who can play different roles, and Fernandes fits the bill perfectly.
The talented young Portuguese international has shone for West Ham this season and is expected to play as a defensive midfielder or in a more advanced role, with The Times claiming he is now on the radar of Arsenal.
Ironically, the 21-year-old may be more likely to be available this summer, as Fernandes’ glaring mistake in the Hammers’ game against Arsenal last weekend has increased the likelihood of West Ham being relegated to the Championship.
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Arsenal eyeing move for Matheus Fernandes
The newspaper’s report also names Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain as candidates for Fernandes, but it is easy to imagine that he would be a good fit for Arsenal.
The former Southampton player may also want to remain in England after adapting well to the style of football here, which is generally considered to be the most competitive of Europe’s five major leagues.
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Arsenal clearly need a player of this profile too, with Arteta clearly showing little confidence in Norgaard, who has barely played this season despite joining from Brentford less than a year ago.
With Martin Zvimendi barely rested this season and no viable replacement for Declan Rice, the AFC definitely needs more depth in that department, and Fernandes could immediately play a role in Arteta’s side.
| Matthew Fernandes | Total score: 17/25 |
| Transfer fee | *** |
| performance | **** |
| performance | ** |
| career phase | **** |
| The need for squads | ***** |
As you can see from the table above, we used our Transfer Fit rating system to give Fernandes a 17/25 rating on potential Arsenal movers.
Even if Fernandes is relatively inexperienced, he has shown he has the qualities to strengthen Arsenal’s depth in key positions and will probably not cost West Ham too much if they are relegated.
