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Arsenal are weighing up a move for West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes, according to BBC reporter Sami Mokbel.
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The journalist was the one who exclusively revealed that the Gunners would sign Martin Zubimendi last year.
He now claims that Fernandes is a name that has been “discussed” as a potential target ahead of the summer transfer window.
The Portuguese international is set to leave West Ham following the Hammers’ relegation to the Championship.
Fernandes’s asking price is pretty steep
Despite West Ham desperately needing to balance the books, it has been reported that they could hold out for a fee in the region of £80m for the 21-year-old.
Fernandes does have plenty of interest from other teams, including Paris-Saint-Germain, Manchester United and Manchester City.
However, the player’s current price does seem a bit excessive. Most believe that due to West Ham’s financial situation, Fernandes could end up being sold for a fee closer to £50m.
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Arsenal could block the path of Lewis-Skelly
A move for Fernandes would have to be carefully considered. Strengthening the midfield is expected to happen, with Mokbel also confirming that Christian Norgaard will be offloaded after just one season at the Emirates.
However, the late-season form of Myles Lewis-Skelly does raise questions about the ramifications of signing another young midfielder like Fernandes.
Lewis-Skelly has performed exceptionally well alongside Declan Rice in the middle of the park, to the extent that he was selected to start the Champions League final ahead of Zubimendi.
Spending £50m to £80m on Fernandes would suggest that manager Mikel Arteta is unlikely to keep faith with Lewis-Skelly in that position heading into next campaign. That would stall the 19-year-old’s development at a time when he has shown a great deal of promise.
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