LONDON (AP) – Tottenham signed Portuguese midfielder Matheus Fernandes from West Ham on Thursday for a club-record 85 million pounds ($113 million).
Fernandes, 21, who was not included in the World Cup squad, was part of the West Ham side that were relegated to Tottenham on the final day of last season.
He has now moved across London to Spurs, who are on a recruiting spree this summer under recently appointed manager Roberto De Zerbi.
center back Jan Paul van Hecke Marco Senesi and former Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson have already joined, with some British media also reporting that Tottenham have reached a deal with Italian midfielder Sandro Tonali from Newcastle.
Fernandes, who spent just one season at West Ham after joining from Southampton, said De Zerbi was “a big part of why I decided to join”.
“When we spoke, it was very special,” Fernandez said. His first appearance for the Portuguese national team was as a substitute in the 2-0 win against the United States in April. “We look at soccer the same way. We will go on the pitch as a strong team with fight and energy and strive to win every game.”
Tottenham sporting director Johan Lange described Fernandes as “a player with outstanding technical ability, intelligence and maturity.”
“And even at a young age,” Lange said. “(He) has shown that he can perform consistently in a demanding and high-pressure environment.”
Tottenham are aiming to recover from the humiliation of finishing 17th in the 20-team Premier League, having been in the top division for the second year in a row since the late 1970s.
The team will not play in Europe next season.
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AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
