Arsenal are in the market for a midfielder this summer transfer window.
Bayern Munich’s Leon Goretzka has been linked to the Emirates Stadium, and so too has Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali.
Mikel Arteta has also had a look at West Ham United’s Mateus Fernandes, who has been a shining light in a dull season.
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Fernandes is firmly on Arsenal’s radar, and interestingly, he has been compared to Bernardo Silva, who had a lot of success with Arteta at Manchester City.
Arsenal target Mateus Fernandes compared to Bernardo Silva
Speaking on The Breakdown YouTube channel, former Man United coach Neil Harris had a lot of praise for Arsenal’s latest transfer target Mateus Fernandes.
“I love him,” Harris stated.
“If you didn’t know his age, you’d be thinking that’s a mature player. He’s the kind of player who doesn’t immediately come to the eye if you’re not watching the game, but when you watch him in detail, I think some of the things he does is very, very high level.
“I love the players who do the simple things to a high level, and he does all of them. Whether it’s receiving the ball in tight areas, no-touch turns, screens, getting his body in, and engaging contact. For a player so young at 21 years, really exciting player.
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“He’s a bit of a Bernardo Silva, isn’t he. When he first came to City, he was a particular type of player…and that is the kind of player that becomes very attractive for a sporting director.”
If there were doubts over whether Fernandes would be up to Arsenal’s level, Harris’ glowing verdict should certainly ease those concerns.
The Portugal international is clearly highly regarded within the game, so if the Gunners can agree on a reasonable fee, he’d be a super addition.
The only issue with the potential deal is West Ham’s demands, as according to TEAMtalk, they want around £80m to sanction Fernandes’ sale.
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