Aston Villa have now joined the race to sign West Ham United midfielder Mateus Fernandes alongside some of the biggest clubs in Europe, according to CaughtOffside.
Aston Villa are gearing up for a return to the Champions League next season following an outstanding season that saw them finish fourth in the Premier League, as well as winning the Europa League.
Now, Unai Emery will want his squad to be strengthened to allow them to compete in the Premier League and the Champions League next term, especially with continued rumours that their top flight rivals are taking an interest in Morgan Rogers.
Villa will be one of a number of clubs who will look to take advantage of any opportunities involving relegated clubs, with some top players on course to play in the Championship as things stand.
One of those is Fernandes after West Ham suffered a devastating relegation on the final day of the Premier League season, and the 21-year-old will be a player in serious demand this summer as a result.
With Douglas Luiz set to return to Juventus following his loan spell at Villa Park, there is a spot for a new midfielder under Emery.
Aston Villa Face Fierce Competition for Mateus Fernandes Deal
West Ham United's Mateus Fernandes celebrates scoring vs Sunderland
While Aston Villa have burst into the race to sign the highly-rated Mateus Fernandes, they are not alone, as per CaughtOffside.
Manchester United are considered the frontrunners for the £52m-rated star after accelerating talks with the 21-year-old's representatives, but there is also interest from Arsenal and Chelsea in the Premier League.
Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain are also keen, alongside La Liga giants Atletico Madrid, while Serie A trio Juventus, Napoli and Inter Milan are also showing interest in the Portugal international.
Mateus Fernandes the Perfect Signing for Aston Villa
Mateus Fernandes
If Aston Villa want to inject some freshness and energy into their midfield for next season, then Fernandes is the ideal candidate.
The 21-year-old 'superstar' has proven himself to often be the best player in both the Southampton and West Ham sides he has played in across the last two seasons, often outshining his senior teammates.
The Portugal international has shown that he can play in a variety of roles across midfield, including as a '6', '8' and a '10', although he does look better suited to either of the latter two as things stand.
Fernandes showed his reliability as he played in every one of the 36 Premier League games he was available for at West Ham this season, registering three goals and four assists.
While the likes of John McGinn, Youri Tielemans and Amadou Onana continue to impress in the centre of the park for Villa, they will need added quality and depth for next season as they return to Europe's elite club competition.
Fernandes has better options on paper than Villa in terms of the size of some of the clubs looking at him, but perhaps he will feel that he has more chance of being a regular starter at Villa Park than some of the other options on the table.
Time will tell in the next few weeks, but Villa have laid their cards on the table for the Portuguese star.