According to SportsBoom, Manchester United and Manchester City are both monitoring West Ham United's 21-year-old Portuguese midfielder, Mateus Fernandes. He has been a notable performer for his club during a difficult season. Both Manchester clubs are prepared to make an offer if West Ham are relegated to the Championship. Fernandes' contract is reported to contain a relegation release clause, which is said to have drawn the attention of multiple elite clubs. SportsBoom also claims that West Ham are open to negotiating an exit in January to avoid losing the midfielder for a significantly lower fee in the summer should relegation occur. While a January transfer remains a possibility, any major transfer is considered more likely to happen in the summer, with the outcome depending heavily on West Ham's efforts to avoid relegation. The central midfielder joined West Ham from Southampton in August 2025 for a reported fee of €44 million. Fernandes has 2 goals and 2 assists in 2 Premier League appearances this season and has been capped 20 times for Portugal's U21 team, scoring 3 goals. His current market value is estimated by Transfermarkt to be €32.00m.