Tottenham get full green light to sign Mateus Fernandes in club record deal as Man Utd are sent chilling warning

Tottenham are accelerating their push for midfielder Mateus Fernandes and are now confident they are close to sealing an agreement worth up to £85million, and with time no longer on Manchester United’s side, sources have told TEAMtalk.

Fernandes, the 21-year-old Portuguese talent, remains a top target for Spurs as they look to strengthen their midfield significantly this summer.

Tottenham are determined to bring in multiple top-class central midfielders, with Sandro Tonali of Newcastle another confirmed target, ahead of the new campaign.

However, it is a move for Fernandes that is now advancing rapidly, and they are now in advanced discussions with West Ham over a new club-record deal.

Sources indicate that Fernandes has given Spurs what’s described as his full green light to press forward, accepting their proposal on personal terms.

The north London club are prepared to offer substantially higher wages than Manchester United, who are seeking to maintain discipline within their wage structure. This financial edge on personal terms has strengthened Spurs’ position in the race.

Significantly for Tottenham, and as TEAMtalk reported on Wednesday, the north London side have shown greater willingness to meet West Ham’s asking price for Fernandes, a stance that is now evident in their aggressive approach to finalising Fernandes.

The Hammers are seeking a package of around £85m (€99m, $112m) for Fernandes and it’s understood that Spurs have presented a package that reaches that amount, albeit with a smaller chunk – estimated to be worth £65m up front – with the rest in add-ons and bonuses.

Such a fee will represent a new record outlay for Tottenham Hotspur.

Furthermore, the Spurs manager, Roberto De Zerbi, continues to show a strong pull, with players keen to join his project, giving the club added confidence when competing for some of the most wanted signatures, and hence why sources have described Tottenham as now having a full green light to seal the deal.

However, there remains a major caveat to any deal actually crossing the line, in the form of Manchester United and sources continue to insist they are not out the race just yet – though time does appear against them and the onus is now on INEOS to pull together a package that matches Spurs’ terms…

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Mateus Fernandes: Man Utd not done yet – but pressure is on INEOS

Despite all that, Fernandes is not yet ready to shut the door on a move to Old Trafford.

However, Manchester United – who have until this point adopted a patient approach and refused to be bullied into paying above and beyond what they think is a fair reflection of the player’s worth – remain in talks for the highly-rated youngster and have not been ruled out.

Adding to their chances are the fact that Fernandes has long dreamt of a move to Old Trafford, where he could link up with his idol, Bruno Fernandes.

The extra sway of Champions League football is another very obvious sway.

Yet above and beyond all that is the desire of Tottenham to sign him and their strong charm offensive aimed at winning this transfer race, together with the fact they are offering, until this point, a more sizeable financial package.

But with Spurs putting the squeeze on United, the north London side, at the time of writing, are growing increasingly confident they will win his signature.

West Ham, meanwhile, have been happy to bide their time and will not be pressured into selling for less than they value the Portugal star at, safe in the knowledge that he is viewed as one of the best young midfielders in world football.

As a result, they are happy to see the potential auction that could unfold for the player and are confident of landing a premium price for the 21-year-old.

A move to Spurs would represent a major statement of intent from the club under their new leadership, while United view Fernandes as a future cornerstone if they can persuade him to head to Manchester.

The coming days are set to be critical, with Spurs pushing hard to finalise the agreement and Manchester United look to negotiate a deal that suits their strict structure under INEOS.

Either way, it seems this particular transfer battle is too rich for even Real Madrid, who now made a firm decision – on Jose Mourinho’s instruction – over a possible Los Blancos approach.

Meanwhile, with United preparing for bad news, they have pivoted to other targets in the form of Alex Scott.

However, my colleague, Graeme Bailey, shared the news on Thursday morning that the Cherries have taken a very dim view on fresh United enquiries for the player.

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