Southampton reject West Ham £30 million bid for Mateus Fernandes | OneFootball

West Ham United have had a £30 million offer for Southampton star Mateus Fernandes rejected (The Athletic).

Southampton are using Romeo Lavia’s £58m move to Chelsea as a benchmark for the Hammers target.

West Ham need midfield reinforcements after a damning lack of quality in the engine room last season.

Lucas Paqueta and Mohammed Kudus were off form, while James Ward-Prowse struggled to find his groove in West Ham colours.

Tomas Soucek and Carlos Soler did decent jobs, but the Hammers need upgrades.

Fernandes has emerged as a West Ham target to bolster the midfield after catching the eye for Southampton in the Premier League last term.

The 21-year-old bagged three goals and six assists in 43 appearances following his move from Sporting CP last season.

Hailed as ‘a really, really talented footballer’ by former Southampton boss Russell Martin, Fernandes would be a stellar pick-up for West Ham.

However, the Saints seem intent on playing hardball with West Ham.

They priced Everton out of a move for Tyler Dibling, and West Ham could face a similar situation if Southampton’s valuation sticks.

West Ham need to look at alternatives

West Ham should avoid getting dragged into a drawn-out bidding war for Fernandes.

While he is talented, spending close to £60m on an unproven player at the very top level could cripple their budget for other much-needed reinforcements.

With plenty of midfield options available across Europe, many with similar profiles and more reasonable price tags, the Hammers should cast their net wider.

Investing smartly would give West Ham manager Graham Potter the quality he needs without breaking the bank for a single target.