Mateus Fernandes shares Roberto De Zerbi's Premier League ambitions for Tottenham Hotspur

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Mateus Fernandes has joined Tottenham Hotspur for $113.72 million -Credit:Gualter Fatia, Getty Images


Mateus Fernandes has suggested that Roberto De Zerbi outlined ambitions for Tottenham Hotspur to challenge for the Premier League title when convincing him to join the club.

Spurs shelled out £85 million ($113.72 million) to secure the 21-year-old midfielder from West Ham United, and are poised to spend a further £100 million ($133.79 million) to lure Sandro Tonali away from Newcastle to partner him in central midfield. This follows the £52 million ($69.57 million) outlay to acquire Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton and Hove Albion, along with three free transfers in Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, and Martin Dubravka.

Tottenham are making bold and decisive moves in the transfer window early doors to ensure De Zerbi has the personnel he needs heading into pre-season, setting the stage for a campaign that promises to be a vast improvement on the previous one, which saw the club narrowly avoid relegation on the final day, as per football.london.

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Mateus Fernandes was sold on his transfer to Tottenham by Roberto De Zerbi's big plans for the club -Credit:Courtesy of Tottenham Hotspur

Fernandes opened up about the vision De Zerbi laid out for him, despite strong competition for his signature — most notably from Manchester United — with the Portuguese midfielder pointing to the Italian head coach's ambitious plans at the North London club. With a revamped squad and no European commitments, Spurs appear ready to push for honors at the highest level.

"I'm very happy, I'm very excited for this next step. Of course, it's a massive club. I already know the city and the country. I spoke with the manager. I think he was the main key for me to join Tottenham and the project. We will fight for the Premier League, we will fight for first place," said the midfielder, who will wear the shirt number 18 for the club.

"The way he spoke with me, with my family, it was very special for me and for my family. So yeah, I'm very excited to meet him, to meet the fans, to meet everyone and try to do my best and enjoy the moment as well."

Discussing his preferred role on the field, Fernandes added: "For me, I feel more happy when I play like a number eight, box to box. When I was in Southampton, I was playing more in front, like a winger, but I always play deeper when I was in Sporting. So I can play winger, I can play striker, I can play midfielder.

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"I just want to help the team, to help my teammates improve my game as well. I know that I need to score more goals, give more assists, fight even more because I want to win titles.

"I always learned this when I was in Sporting, to play with the ball, to try to control the game, trying to use my head, you know, because it's not just about who runs more or who fights more, it's just who knows the timing to pass, to attack, to defend."

Prior to signing his long-term contract, Fernandes received an insider's perspective on Spurs from a former teammate.

"I spoke with Pedro Porro as well. I played with him at Sporting and he spoke about everything. He spoke about the manager, the mentality, change in the group, the training ground, the stadium," said Fernandes. "Of course, London, it's a city that I know now, but he spoke about the city as well. And he told me many, many good things about the club. So I'm ready."

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