West Ham in talks to sign “exceptional” £50m star

While they might not have the trophies to show for it, West Ham United have been blessed with a number of brilliant players over the last decade or so.

In the current team, you have Jarrod Bowen, who’d likely get a game for every club in the Premier League, and then you go back a little further, and you get to stars like Declan Rice and Dimitri Payet.

However, when it comes to a player loved by the Irons faithful but criminally underrated by outside fans, it’s hard to look past Manuel Lanzini.

The Argentine midfielder made 226 appearances for the East Londoners, produced 58 goal involvements – including that one against Tottenham Hotspur – and then left as a firm fan favourite to join River Plate two years ago.

So it’s undoubtedly great news that West Ham now remain keen on signing an up-and-coming talent who could end up becoming their new Lanzini.

West Ham target their new Lanzini

So far, it would be fair to describe West Ham’s summer business as simply okay.

The signing of Kyle Walker-Peters on a free looks like a clever bit of business and Mads Hermansen and El Hadji Malick Diouf could well improve Graham Potter’s starting lineup.

However, even for free, Callum Wilson is an underwhelming addition, as he was only able to score a single goal for Newcastle United last season.

Fortunately, the Hammers aren’t done in the market just yet, as it now looks like they’re doing what they can to sign an exciting midfielder who could be their new Lanzini.

At least that’s according to a recent report from Sky Sports’ Mark McAdam, who has revealed that West Ham remain interested in Mateus Fernandes.

More than that, McAdam claims that even though Southampton rejected their opening offer of £30m for the Portuguese star, “talks are continuing.”

However, it could end up being a particularly expensive transfer to get over the line, as the Saints are now asking for “closer to £50m” for the 21-year-old.

Nevertheless, Fernandes’ ability and sky-high potential make this a deal worth pursuing, especially as he could be West Ham’s new Lanzini.

Why Fernandes could be West Ham’s new Lanzini

When he was at his best at West Ham, Lanzini was a technically proficient maestro who, from the middle of the park, was capable of creating and scoring chances as well as helping to control the pace of the game.

After all, you don’t amass as many appearances for a Premier League side as he did if you aren’t a seriously talented player.

So it’s exciting that, in Fernandes, Potter could be getting his hands on a player capable of fulfilling that same role.

Now, the Portuguese gem may have ultimately succumbed to relegation with Southampton last season, but it was most certainly not his fault.

On top of passing the eye-test with his silky ability on the ball and his “perfectly weighted through balls,” as analyst Ben Mattinson described them, he put up some simply sensational underlying numbers.

For example, FBref ranked him in the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Premier League for percentage of aerial duels won, the top 5% for tackles and ball recoveries, the top 11% for long passes attempted and completed and the top 14% for passes into the final third, all per 90.

These numbers paint the picture of a team player who can be relied upon to do the hard yards and defensive work, while still possessing the passing and technical ability to get the ball into dangerous areas – sound familiar?

Moreover, despite playing for a team that came dangerously close to taking Derby County’s most unwanted of records last season, the “exceptional” midfielder, as dubbed by Mattinson, was still able to score three goals and provide six assists in 42 appearances across all competitions.

Ultimately, while it might take some time, Fernandes appears to have the drive, determination, and technical skill to become Potter’s own Lanzini, and therefore, West Ham should be doing all they can to sign him this summer.