Real Madrid have been rumoured to be interested in West Ham's Mateus Fernandes, and Fabrizio Romano has just revealed that the price tag set by the London club is £85 million, which is €98 million.
It is obvious that Real Madrid need a creative midfielder with good long-range passing. They have been linked with the likes of Rodri, Enzo Fernández and Hjulmand in the past, but none of those links have become concrete yet.
It is not yet confirmed which player Real Madrid will go for this summer, but Fabrizio Romano did say that they are looking for a midfielder, and it remains to be seen whether that eventually comes to light.
Frankly speaking, Fernandes would easily be the best choice to reinforce the midfield position. He is the youngest option out of everyone Real Madrid have been linked with. He would not be the cheapest option, but he would offer the highest value in terms of the number of years he could play for the club and the level he could eventually reach.
Also, even though Real Madrid have been linked with the likes of Rodri and Enzo Fernández, they might not need another superstar name.
Rather, they could do with a slightly lesser-known player like Fernandes, who loves to sit between the two centre-backs, ping long passes from deep and dictate play with the ball. Jose Mourinho has reportedly asked for him at the club, which is a bonus.
It is also worth noting that there is a lot of interest in the Portuguese midfielder despite West Ham's relegation last month. If Real Madrid do not move quickly, there are many Premier League clubs that would happily secure his services for the long term.
Fernandes would offer something to this Real Madrid squad that nobody else currently can. None of the midfielders in the squad possess his level of long-range passing ability. Real Madrid also lack a truly creative number eight.
Most of their creative players operate as number tens, and the team needs someone in the mould of Luka Modrić who can defend, work hard and still create danger in attack.
This is not to say that Fernandes is the same type of player as Modrić, but there are similarities in their games, and that is a profile Real Madrid have missed over the last season.
Obviously, Fede Valverde's defensive qualities and goalscoring ability are excellent, but he is not really the creative engine of the team. The rest of the team consists of either sixes or 10s, and no one provides the full package from deep - definitely not Eduardo Camavinga at his current form.
Fernandes is a blend of everything you would want in a midfielder. There are very few weaknesses in his game, and he represents the sort of all-round midfield profile that Real Madrid have been lacking.
The price tag may be steep, but it is obvious that Real Madrid have the financial power to make a move. If the opportunity presents itself, the club should definitely go for him.
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