Mateus Fernandes reveals his reasons for choosing Spurs over United, fans will easily see through his claim – report

Manchester United fans were left disappointed to see their side lose out to Tottenham Hotspur in the race for Mateus Fernandes. For weeks now, the message emanating from INEOS’ headquarters has been that the Red Devils remain in pole position despite West Ham’s exorbitant valuation, and they remain confident of landing their man. Spurs’ entry did flip the script, but given the Portugal international’s admiration for Bruno Fernandes, there seemed little to worry about. That was until the North London side decided to gazump the 20-time English league champions with a massive wage offer while also meeting the Hammers’ asking price. Mateus Fernandes chooses Spurs INEOS were in no mood to overpay and thus, ended up losing yet another midfield target, following previous disappointments with Elliot Anderson and Sandro Tonali. Spurs paying £85 million for a midfielder who has suffered back-to-back relegations while also offering him a massive wage rise ultimately forced the 21-year-old to change his stance. Interestingly, TEAMtalk have now reported that it was never about the money for Mateus Fernandes, who was blown away by Roberto De Zerbi‘s vision for Spurs. The former Southampton ace was also keen to remain in London, which makes a bit of sense. His reasoning revealed “Mateus Fernandes informed Manchester United he will be joining Tottenham Hotspur, with the midfielder making it clear that his decision was about far more than money, TEAMtalk understands. “However, sources with direct knowledge of the negotiations have confirmed to TEAMtalk that Fernandes ultimately chose Tottenham because of his belief in Roberto De Zerbi’s vision for the club. “While Spurs’ financial package is understood to be superior to that offered by Man Utd, Fernandes’ camp have insisted the move was “not simply a case of joining the highest bidder. Instead, the midfielder was won over by De Zerbi’s plans, the direction of the project in north London and the opportunity to remain in the capital.” Whatever damage control narrative Fernandes’ agent provides, it is clear that finances dictated the ultimate decision. And United fans should not begrudge the West Ham ace for wanting to secure his future. Mateus Fernandes PR will not change the reality Should a player feel that Spurs are the ideal club for him, instead of Manchester United, it shows more about him rather than United’s failed attempt. Fans must remember that the North London club had offered a slightly better package to Brentford last year in order to hijack Bryan Mbeumo‘s move to Manchester. The Cameroonian stood firm, and his dream move materialised. Clearly, Mateus Fernandes did not. Not overpaying also sends a clear message to clubs, who have been used to the idea of fleecing United. Now is not the time to cry over spilled milk, with INEOS focusing on Alex Scott as an alternative. Feature image Clive Rose via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Ayantan Chowdhury After failing to become a professional footballer, Ayantan switched to the next best thing: writing about the greatest football club in the world. He has extensive sports journalism experience, having worked for over 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25