Nottingham Forest are gearing up for a busy summer transfer window, with Evangelos Marinakis ready to splash the cash to bolster Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad ahead of their European campaign. After securing Morgan Gibbs-White’s services, the Reds are now targeting top talent to strengthen their ranks.
One player who has caught their eye is Mateus Fernandes, the talented midfielder currently plying his trade in the Championship with Southampton. Despite suffering relegation, Fernandes enjoyed a productive individual campaign, registering nine goal involvements from midfield and attracting interest from several top clubs.
According to TEAMtalk, Fernandes is now keen to leave Southampton and will be allowed to depart for around £20m. West Ham are reportedly pushing hard for his signature, but there’s a belief he might prefer a move overseas. This presents an opportunity for Nottingham Forest to swoop in and secure the services of the wantaway star.
Former Southampton midfielder Jo Tessem recently praised Fernandes, labeling him the Saints’ “best player” and drawing comparisons to Romeo Lavia, who made a £53m move to Chelsea earlier this year. Tessem explained: “Mateus Fernandes is on people’s radar because every week he plays his heart out, he is by far the best player on the football pitch from a Saints perspective.”
He added: “He is becoming an ultimate Premier League midfielder and clubs are not going to let that go. He plays like a Premier League player. He passes like a Premier League player. He is quick like a Premier League player. He conducts himself so well in midfield.”
With Fernandes seemingly keen to make a move, Nottingham Forest will be hopeful of capitalizing on his desire to leave Southampton. The Reds are certainly in a position to spend big this summer, with the Dan Ndoye deal from Bologna reportedly on the verge of being finalized for £37m. James McAtee is also in talks to join Forest, although a £10m valuation gap with Manchester City needs to be bridged.
As things stand, Fernandes’ potential departure from Southampton could prove to be a significant boost for Nottingham Forest, who are clearly on the hunt for top talent to propel them forward in the upcoming season.
