After a lengthy transfer saga, Tottenham Hotspur have agreed a deal to sign Mateus Fernandes, beating Manchester United to the highly-rated West Ham United midfielder.Less than a year after ending a 14-year wait to sign a player directly from West Ham United with the arrival of Mohammed Kudus, Spurs look set to complete another deal with the Hammers.Fernandes had already given the green light to joining Tottenham last week after also indicating he was open to a move to Manchester United. That left both clubs battling it out with West Ham United, with the outcome expected to depend on which side matched the Hammers’ valuation.Manchester United had been viewed as favourites thanks to Champions League football and the opportunity for Fernandes to play alongside his idol Bruno Fernandes. Despite that, Tottenham remained confident throughout the process, and it now appears they have come out on top.Photo by Vince Mignott/MB Media/Getty ImagesRoberto De Zerbi sold Mateus Fernandes on TottenhamDavid Ornstein was first to report that Tottenham have won the race for Fernandes after submitting the highest offer to West Ham.The Athletic journalist understands Spurs have agreed a package worth around £85m, matching the valuation the Hammers had placed on the 21-year-old throughout negotiations.Ornstein adds that Manchester United ultimately decided against matching either the transfer fee or the salary package on offer from Tottenham, with their attention now expected to turn towards alternative midfield targets.Fabrizio Romano has since backed those reports, giving the transfer his trademark “here we go” confirmation.That means Fernandes is now set to become Tottenham’s fifth signing of the summer, following the arrivals of Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul van Hecke and Martin Dubravka, with the transfer window only just past the two-week mark.It appears Roberto De Zerbi played a huge role in convincing Fernandes to join the Tottenham project. Romano reports that one of the ‘key factors’ involved ‘De Zerbi calling the player several times to get it done’.🚨⚪️ Tottenham will pay £85m fixed for Mateus Fernandes, no add-ons; Man United were only considering add-ons to get closer to the fee wanted by West Ham.Key factor: De Zerbi called the player several times to get it done. 📲🎥➕ https://t.co/E6zCURRA4q pic.twitter.com/Tlk1u109Lo— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 30, 2026 This information is backed up by Tom Allnutt at Times Sport, who says that Fernandes has been completely sold on De Zerbi and the ‘specific plan for his development at Spurs’.This plan is said to involve integrating Fernandes as the central playmaker at the base of the team, although it remains to be seen whether he will be used as a 6, 8, or even a 10.Mateus Fernandes is now Tottenham’s record signingTottenham’s transfer strategy has undergone a remarkable shift this summer after consecutive seasons spent battling against relegation.The Lilywhites have already invested £52m to bring Jan Paul van Hecke to North London, while Robertson, Senesi and Dubravka all arrived on free transfers.Fernandes’ reported £85m fee would take Tottenham’s spending to £137m on transfer fees alone this summer and would comfortably make him the most expensive signing in the club’s history.Dominic Solanke‘s £65m move from Bournemouth last summer had topped that list until now, but Fernandes would surpass that figure by £20m should the deal be completed.RankPlayerFee (£m)FromYear1Mateus Fernandes85.0West Ham United20262Dominic Solanke65.0Bournemouth20243Tanguy Ndombele63.0Lyon20194Richarlison60.0Everton20225Mohammed Kudus55.0West Ham United2025Tottenham’s record signings by transfer feeREAD MORE: How Tottenham feel about Sandro Tonali deal after winning £85m Mateus Fernandes raceThe post How Roberto De Zerbi sold Mateus Fernandes on Tottenham project with multiple phone calls appeared first on Spurs Web.