New Mateus Fernandes comments add fuel to Southampton FC exit fear as Crystal Palace plot move | OneFootball

Saturday could be the last time we see the midfielder in a Saints shirt amid Premier League interest.

Crystal Palace target Mateus Fernandes has admitted that he has missed that winning feeling in his first, and potentially final, season with Southampton.

It was reported on Monday morning by Alan Nixon that the newly crowned FA Cup winners were keen on signing the Portuguese midfielder this summer.

Their win over Manchester City at Wembley means they will play in the Europa League next season and will therefore need a bigger squad in order to be able to deal with the capacity of games they will have to play. £20 million-rated Fernandes is reportedly seen as a great option to add to their squad, especially in case former Blackburn Rovers youngster Adam Wharton ends up leaving this summer.

Palace want to get a deal done for the 20-year-old sooner rather than later, according to Nixon. Other teams are said to be in the mix, like Nottingham Forest, as per The Telegraph, but the Eagles are confident of winning the race.

Mateus Fernandes makes clear Southampton claim

In the midst of a very poor campaign for Southampton, Fernandes has been one of the few shining lights. Since he was bought by the club from Sporting Lisbon for £15 million, he has been a mainstay of the first XI and has performed above the bottom-of-the-league-level that his current club have been at since returning to the Premier League last summer.

Although he wasn't part of the Sporting side that won the league under current Manchester United boss Ruben Amoriom in the previous campaign - he was loaned out to fellow Liga Portugal side Estoril Praia - Fernandes was still on the club's books and knows the feeling of season-long success.

Southampton haven't won a league game since the second day of 2025. Unsurprisingly, the 20-year-old admitted that being at St Mary's has made him yearn for that adrenaline rush that three points gives you.

"It was not a good season for us," Fernandes admitted to the BBC after the Saints' 2-0 defeat to Everton in their penultimate game of the term. "Next season we need to play much better, train much better. We need to play like we train."

On what he felt he has learnt most about himself and his game this season, he replied: "I enjoy more the victory. We lose much, much, much games. I miss the feeling of victory, I hope you can - next season, we can win much better."

Saturday and Sunday gave Fernandes a taste of what he is missing out on

The day after his potential next club lifted their first ever major trophy, Fernandes and his teammates got to witness Everton say goodbye to their beloved home of Goodison Park. It was the last time the club's men's first-team will play on the hallowed turf, with Iliman Ndiaye's brace capping off a day of celebration for all.

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