With Mateus Fernandes now through the door at Tottenham, we have taken a closer look at the three different ways Roberto De Zerbi could utilise him in a new-look Spurs midfield.Tottenham Hotspur have finally got their hands on one of their midfield targets in Mateus Fernandes.An £85 million deal was agreed with West Ham United for the transfer of the 21-year-old as Spurs look to bolster their midfield ranks.Official confirmation awaits following reports from the likes of David Ornstein and Fabrizio Romano, but that has done little to curtail the excitement among Tottenham supporters.The midfielder is set to become one of Spurs’ record signings and, with that, comes the pressure of hitting the ground running.We already know that Fernandes possesses immense quality given how his numbers stack up against Tottenham’s midfielders.Fernandes is also versatile, and that versatility could prove vital for Spurs next season. With that in mind, we have now taken a look at three ways he could be deployed by Roberto De Zerbi.Photo by Warren Little/Getty ImagesTottenham could use Mateus Fernandes as a number sixOne position where Fernandes could very much thrive is in defensive midfield as the number six for Tottenham.That role last season was mostly occupied by Joao Palhinha or Rodrigo Bentancur, but with Palhinha having returned to Bayern Munich, Fernandes looks primed to fill it at some stage next campaign.If he is deployed as the deepest midfielder, it would hint at Spurs playing in a 4-3-3 formation.While he is capable of filling in there, it is far from his preferred position, having played as a defensive midfielder just 13 times throughout his career. Last season at West Ham United, he featured there on only seven occasions, registering one assist.However, his underlying numbers from the last campaign suggest he is more than capable of performing the role. Fernandes ranked first among Tottenham’s midfielders for forward passes and progressive passes, while also placing second for duel success, possession won, progressive carries and forward pass percentage.PlayerDuel % RankPossession Won RankProgressive Carries RankForward Passes RankForward Pass % RankKey Passes RankProgressive Passes RankMinutesMateus Fernandes1st2nd2nd1st2nd2nd1st3,302João Palhinha2nd1st7th2nd5th7th2nd2,486Lucas Bergvall7th7th1st7th7th5th7th1,085Archie Gray6th6th4th4th4th3rd3rd1,673Conor Gallagher5th5th5th5th3rd1st4th1,328Pape Matar Sarr4th3rd3rd6th1st4th5th1,613Rodrigo Bentancur3rd4th6th3rd6th6th6th2,077Where Mateus Fernandes ranks among Tottenham’s midfielders in key metricsA 4-3-3 formation with Fernandes could see Spurs line up this way: Kinsky; Porro, Van Hecke, Van de Ven, Udogie; Fernandes; Maddison, Kulusevski; Kudus, Solanke, SavinhoTottenham formation with Mateus FernandesSpurs could unleash Mateus Fernandes as a box-to-box midfielderIf Fernandes is not used in a single pivot, then the next and perhaps most natural role for the 21-year-old would be as one of two box-to-box midfielders.Central midfield is where the Portuguese has featured the most throughout his career, making 97 appearances in the position.He has also shown that he offers far more than just the midfield basics, possessing that all-important ability to chip in with goals.Across those 97 appearances in central midfield, Fernandes has produced 11 goals and 13 assists. Last season alone, he featured 20 times there for West Ham, returning three goals and three assists.PositionAppearancesGoalsAssistsCentral Midfield971113Attacking Midfield4548Defensive Midfield13–1Right Winger511Left Midfield5–1Left Winger5––Right Midfield2––Centre-Forward1––Fernandes all time career stats by positionHis statistics also suggest he can improve Spurs in possession, ranking first for both forward passes and progressive passes when compared to Tottenham’s current midfield options.With Fernandes operating in a double pivot, Tottenham could line up like this: Kinsky; Porro, Van Hecke, Van de Ven, Udogie; Fernandes, Tonali; Maddison; Kudus, Solanke, SavinhoTottenham formation with Mateus FernandesTottenham also have the option of using Mateus Fernandes as a number 10Another option Fernandes gives Roberto De Zerbi is the ability to operate as a number 10.Of course, the 21-year-old has featured there a handful of times during his career and, notably, far more often than he has in defensive midfield.In fact, for West Ham he was used as an attacking midfielder eight times compared to seven appearances as a defensive midfielder.PositionAppearancesGoalsAssistsCentral Midfield2033Attacking Midfield811Defensive Midfield7–1Left Midfield3––Right Midfield1––Left Winger1––Fernandes’ stat by position at West HamAcross his career, Fernandes has played 45 matches as an attacking midfielder, contributing four goals and eight assists. That shows if De Zerbi wishes, he can deploy the Portuguese in a more advanced role. Doing so would mean competing with the likes of James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Xavi Simons for a place.It might be a rare sight to see Fernandes in the number 10 position, but given the injury crises Spurs have regularly dealt with over the course of recent seasons, it is certainly not beyond the realms of possibility.Should De Zerbi opt to use Fernandes there, Spurs could line up as follows: Kinsky; Porro, Van Hecke, Van de Ven, Udogie; Tonali, Bentancur; Fernandes; Kudus, Solanke, SavinhoTottenham formation with Mateus FernandesREAD MORE: ‘Here we go’ – Fabrizio Romano reveals Tottenham have smashed their transfer fee record againThe post Three ways De Zerbi could use Mateus Fernandes in Tottenham’s new-look midfield appeared first on Spurs Web.