Despite West Ham’s torrid season, there have been a few players who have really stepped up with their performances of late.
One of those is Konstantinos Mavropanos, who has started 14 of the last 16 Premier League games, scoring three goals in the process.
The Greece international had often come under criticism for his performances in claret and blue, having made a number of mistakes and put in some questionable performances since joining the club under David Moyes.
But since the turn of the year, Mavropanos has developed a really strong relationship with loan signing Axel Disasi, keeping both Jean-Clair Todibo and Max Kilman out of the starting XI.
But while Mavropanos has somewhat rejuvenated his reputation in east London, one teammate has earned all the plaudits ever since the start of the season.
Mateus Fernandes joined West Ham for more than £40m from Southampton last summer, which raised some eyebrows.
But the midfielder has more than justified that price tag this season, becoming the driving force and midfield engine the Hammers had arguably been missing since Declan Rice left to join Arsenal in 2023.
Mavropanos has been just as impressed with Fernandes’ performances this season, and believes he had very bright future ahead of him.
Speaking on West Ham’s official podcast, Ironcast, the Greek said: “For his age, I can say he looks really mature on the ball and he’s so calm.
“He knows what he has to do on the pitch and, defensively, he works hard as well.
“He creates some really good spaces for others. With the ball, he’s just really calm. His passing accuracy is good. For his age and his talent, he’s a really good player.
“I think he’s going to have a great future.”
West Ham face battle to keep Fernandes
That’s some praise for Fernandes, who Nuno Espirito Santo once called ‘a special player,’ and it shows just why he has been the subject of increased transfer speculation in recent months.
The Hammers’ chances of keeping hold of him beyond the summer are admittedly looking quite slim at the moment, even if they secure Premier League survival over the next four fixtures.
West Ham’s latest accounts don’t make for happy reading, with the club admitting that some player sales will be necessary in the summer to balance the books, regardless of the division they’re competing in.
The Portugal international is arguably the club’s most valuable asset, perhaps aside from Jarrod Bowen, and will no doubt attract a transfer fee well in excess of the £40m paid for him just 12 months ago.
But if survival is achieved and West Ham can convince him to stay for at least one more season at London Stadium, Nuno Espirito Santo will have one hell of a player to build his team around.
