Why Chelsea’s hopes of signing Mateus Fernandes already look dead

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Chelsea want to sign a midfielder this summer and are interested in West Ham United’s Mateus Fernandes.

It was recently reported that Chelsea have joined the race for Fernandes’ signature following West Ham’s relegation to the Championship.

However, there is a strong possibility that their interest remains just that and no bid is made for the 21-year-old.

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Chelsea don’t want to pay £80m for Mateus Fernandes

Despite their relegation, it is thought that West Ham want £80m for Fernandes, which appears to be a bit of a problem for Chelsea.

Journalist Simon Phillips has claimed on Si Phillips Talks Chelsea that the Blues believe his asking price is too high and their chances of signing him may already be dead.

Chelsea are not lacking midfield options. At present, they have Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Andrey Santos, Romeo Lavia and Dario Essugo.

However, Fernandez wants to leave Chelsea, while it is believed that the club are open to offers for Santos and Lavia.

It means signing a new midfielder could quickly become a priority in the summer transfer window.

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West Ham won’t get £80m fee for Mateus Fernandes

Fernandes is a very versatile midfielder and showed that last season. He operated in different midfield roles for West Ham and helped the team in both attack and defence.

In 36 Premier League appearances, Fernandes scored three goals and provided four assists. According to WhoScored, he made one key pass per game.

The Portuguese also made 2.9 tackles per game, which was the highest average in the Hammers’ squad, showing his defensive contribution.

Still, £80m is a lot of money to ask for, especially when the team requesting that fee have just been relegated. It would be a shock if they got anything near that.

Other clubs will probably be looking to do a deal closer to the £50m bracket. At that price, maybe Chelsea will be involved. But at £80m, it looks as though they have already made up their mind.