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Tottenham midfielder Mateus Fernandes has disclosed that Spurs manager Roberto De Zerbi played a key role in influencing his decision to join the club.
Recall that Fernandes sealed an £85m move from West Ham to Spurs earlier this summer, becoming the club’s record signing, only for that mark to be beaten by Sandro Tonali’s £100m transfer shortly afterwards.
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In a chat with The Athletic, Fernandes stated that it was talks with the Italian manager that convinced him to make the switch to North London.
“The desire of playing for a big club, winning games, to fight for the Premier League, for the first place,” Fernandes told The Athletic, when asked how De Zerbi sold the move.
“The way he spoke with me and my family was very important to me.
“He was calling me every day, so I’m very happy to work with him, and hopefully we can do great things.
“It was more about [forming a] connection, because my dad and my mum don’t speak English very well. It was more about feelings.
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“He said he would take care of me, that he would be my second dad in England. I’m very happy to work with him.”
The Portuguese midfielder has suffered back-to-back relegations with Southampton and West Ham but enjoyed a fine individual campaign with the latter in 2025-26.
He scored five goals and registered four assists in 39 appearances in all competitions.
