Tottenham Hotspur have beaten Manchester United to secure the £85 million signing of Mateus Fernandes, marking a major coup in their summer transfer campaign.

Both Spurs and Manchester United had identified the young Portuguese midfielder as a top summer target, with West Ham United encouraging a bidding contest between the two Premier League giants. Reports also suggested that Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain were monitoring Fernandes, considering him one of Europe’s brightest young talents in midfield.

Fernandes was open to joining either club as his agent, Jorge Mendes, held talks with both sides. However, according to Standard Sport, Tottenham have emerged victorious in the race, surpassing Manchester United’s offer with a superior financial package.

The North London club will pay a guaranteed £85 million fee for the 21-year-old, easily eclipsing their previous record transfer of £65 million spent on Dominic Solanke in 2024. United, constrained by budget limitations, were unable to match Tottenham’s offer — both in terms of the overall transfer fee and player wages.

With this acquisition, Fernandes becomes Tottenham’s fifth addition of the summer, following the arrivals of Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul van Hecke, and Martin Dubravka. Manchester United, meanwhile, will now turn their attention to alternative midfield options after this significant setback to their transfer plans.

As West Ham players prepare to return to training next week, Tottenham are eager to finalise the deal swiftly to ensure Fernandes joins pre-season preparations in North London.

Fernandes’ imminent signing marks the second consecutive summer in which Tottenham have secured a major player from one of their Premier League rivals. Last year, they landed Mohamed Kudus in a deal worth around £60 million.

Following the completion of Fernandes’ move, Tottenham will shift focus to pursuing Sandro Tonali, as manager Roberto De Zerbi continues his ambitious midfield rebuild. Newcastle United are demanding close to £100 million for the Italian international, a figure that would shatter Tottenham’s transfer record once again if met.

Reports indicate that Spurs have already agreed personal terms with Tonali on a six-year contract, though Newcastle have turned down their initial offer. Nevertheless, Tottenham are expected to return with an improved bid as they aim to make Tonali their next marquee signing of the window.