At a Glance:
Arsenal are looking to bring more talent to North London in the summer
One player rumoured to be on the radar of the club is West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes
Gabby Agbonlahor believes Fernandes is talented enough to join any Premier League side
Arsenal will want to bring in fresh talent to the Emirates come summertime, regardless of whether they win the Premier League title, and West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes is a name that has been floated around in terms of signings the Gunners should make.
The 21-year-old has impressed as an all-round combative midfielder for West Ham, and rumours linking Fernandes to Arsenal have emerged in recent weeks.
If Arsenal want to improve their team in the summer, certain players may need to depart the club in order to raise funds and to ensure the squad is balanced. Names rumoured to be departing the Emirates include veteran midfielder Christian Norgaard, who looks to be out of favour at the club, and winger Gabriel Martinelli, who has struggled for form over the course of the 2025/26 campaign.
One ex-Premier League name who is now a well-known pundit has issued his view on whether Arsenal should go for Mateus Fernandes and if he would be an improvement to their current crop of midfield talent.
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Gabby Agbonlahor insists Mateus Fernandes is a ‘better player’ than Arsenal’s Martin Zubimendi
When asked on TalkSPORT regarding whether Mateus Fernandes would be a good fit for Arsenal, Gabby Agbonlahor stated he viewed the Portguese talent as a worthwile upgrade on current Arsenal defensive midfielder Martin Zubimendi.
“I think [Fernandes is] a better player than [Martin] Zubimendi, I really do. I’m not sure about the hype with Zubimendi. Lewis-Skelly’s taken his place now but to add numbers and strengthen I would sign Fernandes,” said Agbonlahor.
🗣️Gabby Agbonlahor thinks #Arsenal should try and sign West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes in the summer transfer window: “Fernandes is a top, top midfielder. West Ham will be dying to stay in the Premier League. Obviously that won’t keep him.
“I think he’s a better player than… pic.twitter.com/GpjRNnQydx
— Arsenal News Channel (@Arsenalnewschan) May 16, 2026
The ex-Aston VIlla man also made note of the fact that West Ham are in a perilous position within the Premier League, with the Hammers battling relegation in a scenario that most likely either see them or fellow London club Tottenham go down to the Championship.
Regardless of if West Ham stay up, Agbonlahor believes Fernandes is destined for a big club this summer, saying:
“Fernandes is a top, top midfielder. West Ham will be dying to stay in the Premier League. Obviously that won’t keep him… I think he could have his pick of Premier League clubs. I rate him highly.”
How has Fernandes performed for West Ham this season?
Mateus Fernandes joined West Ham from Southampton in the summer of 2025 for a reported £38 million, and has embedded himself well into the East London club so far.
He has played in 34 games in the Premier League, starting in 33 of them, and has scored three goals this campaign while also coming up with three assists for teammates.
The former Sporting talent has won 191 duels over the course of the season, putting him in the top 5% of Premier League midfielders for this stat, while also being in the same percentile range for accurate long balls with 104—showing that Fernandes is effective on both ends of the pitch.