Tottenham Hotspur’s new signing, Mateus Fernandes, has disclosed that manager Roberto De Zerbi played a decisive role in convincing him to complete his move to north London, revealing that the Italian promised to become his “second dad” in England.
Fernandes completed an £85 million transfer from West Ham earlier this summer, setting a new club-record fee before Sandro Tonali’s subsequent £100 million arrival surpassed it.
The Portugal midfielder had also been strongly linked with a move to Manchester United before opting for Spurs, with De Zerbi’s personal approach proving instrumental in his decision.
“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.
“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.”
Fernandes arrives at Tottenham after enduring successive Premier League relegations with Southampton and West Ham.
Despite West Ham’s difficult campaign in 2025-26, the 22-year-old produced several impressive individual displays.
He finished the season with five goals and four assists in 39 appearances across all competitions.
Defensively, he recorded a team-high 73 tackles and won 214 duels, while only Jarrod Bowen created more chances for the Hammers, registering 53 compared to Fernandes’ 42.
Now preparing to compete at the top end of the Premier League table, Fernandes believes his experiences over the past two seasons have helped shape him both professionally and personally.
“This is football, this is life,” he said. “You need to learn about everything.
“The first season, at Southampton, was the most difficult because I was living alone in another country. I didn’t speak English, and I didn’t have anybody there who spoke Portuguese or Spanish, so it was a little bit difficult.
“It was important to go to West Ham and prepare for the season well. These two seasons, I learned a lot off the pitch — take my time after games, do other things, and I’m much more ready now than two years ago.
“I was very happy at Southampton and West Ham. They always showed me a lot of love, and they took care of me. I’m ready for this step as well.”
