Mateus Fernandes Emerges as Tottenham’s Immediate Solution in Midfield
Mateus Fernandes has changed perceptions of his arrival at Tottenham after just two matches and is now being viewed as the club’s immediate solution to the position previously occupied by Conor Gallagher. With James Maddison injured and Tottenham short of attacking midfield options, the 22-year-old Portuguese midfielder has emerged as the most viable choice to lead the team’s creativity in the coming weeks.
Signed from West Ham for £85 million, Fernandes was one of Tottenham’s few bright spots in their opening Premier League 2026/27 match against Brentford. He came on in the second half and added stability to a midfield that had been dominated. On Wednesday, during the second round of the League Cup, he started against Charlton Athletic and was again the best midfielder on the pitch, strengthening his partnership with Rodrigo Bentancur.
His early performances have changed the view of a transfer that many considered overpriced and placed Fernandes at the centre of Tottenham’s solution to an immediate tactical problem.
Tottenham signing increasingly viewed as a potential bargain
Before the deal was completed, the £85 million fee attracted criticism, particularly from supporters of clubs that had tried to sign Fernandes, including Manchester United. After his first appearances, however, the assessment is that Fernandes could prove to be worth even more than Tottenham paid.
The club’s own recent spending provides a point of comparison. Tottenham invested £100 million in Serie A champion Sandro Tonali, while the former West Ham midfielder has made an impact that has arguably exceeded expectations for the Italian. Fernandes is also performing at a higher level than he showed at the London club last season, helped by the stronger squad around him.
Defensive work, intensity and quality when playing out from the back have been the most obvious features of Fernandes’ early performances. It is still too soon to declare that the £85 million fee represents a bargain, but Tottenham supporters are already considering that possibility. Comparisons with other major signings in English football have strengthened the argument, with Moisés Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez costing Chelsea more than £100 million each.
Injuries reshape Tottenham’s midfield options
The injuries in Tottenham’s squad have increased the pressure for Fernandes to become an immediate solution. Maddison suffered a shoulder injury against Brentford after coming on as a substitute. The midfielder had not started a match since returning from the anterior cruciate ligament injury he suffered towards the end of the 2024/25 season.
The injury is not considered serious, but Tottenham are now without their main number 10 at a time when options in the position are limited. Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert are also recovering from ACL injuries, leaving Maddison and Gallagher as the squad’s only specialist attacking midfielders.
Gallagher fails to take his opportunity
With Maddison unavailable, Gallagher would have been the natural choice among Tottenham’s more experienced players. His performance against Brentford, however, fell well below expectations and revived the worst memories of Tottenham’s difficult period last season. His improvement under Roberto De Zerbi at the end of the previous campaign was not enough to convince supporters.
Luca Williams-Barnett, one of the discoveries of pre-season, has a major opportunity but is still considered too inexperienced for the Premier League.
Fernandes has the profile to play as a number 10
The current assessment is that Fernandes could offer more than Gallagher even in a more advanced role. Although he is naturally a defensive midfielder, the Portuguese player has the qualities required of a pressing attacking midfielder and offers advantages over Conor Gallagher in areas such as athleticism, passing, tackling and creativity.
Moving Fernandes into a playmaking role would not hinder his development, according to the assessment formed after his first two matches. Playing further forward could help him develop into a future number 6 or number 8, following a similar path to Archie Gray, who was previously used out of position in defence.
In the short term, a midfield pairing of Fernandes and Bentancur is considered far more solid than one featuring Gallagher at the level he showed against Brentford. For that reason, Tottenham are considering starting the Portuguese midfielder as their number 10 in the coming weeks.
