West Ham have identified their preferred Mateus Fernandes replacement, according to the Daily Mail.
The 21-year-old Portugal international is expected to leave the Hammers this summer, with Manchester United, Arsenal and back-to-back Champions League winners PSG reportedly considering an £80m move.
The Hammers were resigned to losing the midfielder this summer, regardless of their league status, but relegation to the Championship has further fuelled expectations that the former Southampton player will be moved on.
It means Nuno Espirito Santo will need to find a suitable replacement this summer to help his side win promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
Fernandes’ dynamism and ability on the ball won rave reviews in the top-flight last season, leading to interest from some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
So the midfielder has some big shoes to fill in claret and blue this summer.
Hammers identify Martin Adeline
Playmaker Martin Adeline, 22, played a starring role as Troyes won promotion to Ligue 1 this season.
His performances have attracted the interest of West Ham’s recruitment team, who will have been on the lookout for a player who can seamlessly replace Fernandes in Nuno’s midfield for some time now.
It’s not yet known whether Adeline will be willing to turn down the chance to play in France’s top-tier next season for the chance to play in the Championship.
The France U20 star scored 10 goals and registered a further 11 assists in 32 Ligue 2 appearances for Troyes, as well as posting three goal involvements in four Coupe de France outings.
A run of seven consecutive games in which he registered a goal involvement (five goals, four assists) between February and April was a key reason behind Troyes’ title-winning campaign.
With that in mind, Adeline has the ability and consistency required at Championship level and would surely be an astute addition to Nuno’s squad.
However, it’s not currently known how much his signature would cost West Ham.
Given the club’s financial issues and the need to raise significant transfer funds before players can be signed, they will be cautious of overpaying for a player who has never played in England, despite his obvious talent.
