Tottenham have officially announced Mateus Fernandes as a new signing this morning, with the player speaking out on his decision to join.The talented young Portugal international has made the move from West Ham to Spurs after a saga linking him with a host of other top clubs.DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL CAUGHTOFFSIDE APP FOR ALL THE LATEST & BREAKING UPDATES – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAYPerhaps most notably, it seems that Manchester United were one of Fernandes’ main suitors, with the Red Devils described by ESPN’s Rob Dawson as having pushed hard for the deal.However, as per the X post from Dawson below, it seems Man Utd were not convinced that Fernandes was desperate to make them his first choice, unlike with some of their other recent signings…Man United pushed hard to sign Mateus Fernandes but weren’t prepared to match Tottenham’s bid. United never felt clear on his preference of club during talks. Mbeumo and Cunha were desperate to join last summer and United didn’t have the same feeling with Fernandes.— Rob Dawson (@RobDawsonESPN) June 30, 2026This is perhaps now confirmed by Fernandes’ own words to Tottenham’s official site today as he made it clear just how eager he was to play under the club’s manager Roberto De Zerbi.Mateus Fernandes on Tottenham transfer decisionDiscussing his move to Spurs, the 21-year-old the club’s website: “I’m very excited for this next step. Spurs is a massive club and the Head Coach was a key part of why I have decided to join.“When we spoke, it was very special. We look at football in the same way – going onto the pitch as a strong team, with fight and energy, to try and win every game. I can’t wait to get started, to meet the fans, to meet everyone, and give everything for the Club.”Want more CaughtOffside coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trustDe Zerbi is certainly very highly regarded in the game, having done an impressive job at other clubs in recent times, most notably in the Premier League with Brighton.More Stories / Latest NewsMateus Fernandes reveals “key part” of why he joined Tottenham despite Man United transfer linksJul 2 2026, 10:223 more Spurs transfer targets reported as De Zerbi revolution continuesJul 2 2026, 10:05Sources: Chelsea & Liverpool given opportunity to sign versatile star for reduced £55m feeJul 2 2026, 9:43The Italian tactician should find it easier to implement his style of play at Spurs with a quality young midfielder like Fernandes coming in.According to the Independent, there may be more to come as well, with big names like Rafael Leao, Savinho, Eli Junior Kroupi, and James Trafford also on their list of summer targets.The post Mateus Fernandes reveals “key part” of why he joined Tottenham despite Man United transfer links appeared first on CaughtOffside.