Mateus Fernandes has been given the ‘green light’ to leave West Ham United following their relegation from the Premier League, according to TEAMtalk.

The Hammers need to sell a handful of players after dropping out of the top flight, with the club required to raise as much as £150million through player sales.

Fernandes is attracting interest from several Premier League sides, with Manchester United in talks over a move to sign the Portuguese star.

The 21-year-old joined West Ham last summer from Southampton, after the Saints were relegated. He still has four years left on his contract at the London Stadium and the Irons are not willing to let him go for cheap.

West Ham want £80m for Mateus Fernandes

According to TEAMtalk, West Ham will demand £80million to sell the ‘elite’ Fernandes this summer.

A fee in that region would smash the Championship transfer record, which currently stands at £53million following Romeo Lavia’s move to Chelsea from Southampton three years ago.

But Manchester United could see their move to sign Fernandes hijacked by Arsenal.

The Gunners have already made contact with the Hammers about a move for the player and are weighing up making a formal bid. While the Irons want £80million for the midfielder, offers are expected to be in the region of £60million.

Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain are also interested in the player.

Former Liverpool player Jan Molby branded Fernandes as an ‘exceptional’ player who has ‘got it all’ and believes the midfielder is the ‘real deal’.

Mateus Fernandes can make Arsenal stronger

Fernandes was predominantly used as a central midfielder for West Ham last season but can play in a more attacking role, as well as a defensive one too.

Declan Rice is one of the first names on the team-sheet at Arsenal but there is room for Fernandes to force his way into Mikel Arteta’s starting XI, if the Gunners make a move.

Martin Zubimendi impressed during the first half of the campaign but his performances started to drop off in the final months. Martin Odegaard is captain at Arsenal but the Norwegian has been troubled by persistent injury problems.

Arsenal will be keen to build on their Premier League title win and go one better in the Champions League after losing to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties last weekend.

Fernandes might not start every game if he moved to the Emirates Stadium but he would give Arteta an incredibly-strong rotation option who can play in any position in Arsenal’s midfield three.

If the Gunners want to retain their title and challenge on more fronts, having two quality players in almost every position will give them the best chance of winning more trophies next term.

Former England international Kyle Walker has named the three players that Thomas Tuchel should’ve named in his squad for the 2026 World Cup.

Tuchel named his 26-man England squad at the end of May. The likes of Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice were among the players named in a hugely talented group.

The German left out some big names from his side. Some old heads that have been integral for England over the past decade were omitted, as were some younger players despite impressive campaigns.

Walker, capped 96 times by his country, will also not travel to North America after announcing his retirement from international football earlier this year.

Walker Names 3 English Players That He Would Have Taken to the World Cup

Walker has joined The Sun as a columnist and pundit for its coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He has now revealed three stars he would have picked for the World Cup if he was Three Lions boss. Speaking at a special show for The Sun previewing this summer’s tournament, Walker said:

Gibbs-White was controversially left out of Tuchel’s side despite a superb campaign with Nottingham Forest. He scored 15 times and recorded seven assists in the Premier League for the Tricky Trees last season.

Walker, now 36 years old, also said that Manchester United duo Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw should’ve been included in defence. He added:

“I come back to the defence. I do think there’s a lot there that have probably not played too great or who are carrying injuries that, can you completely rely on for the stretch of the tournament? That’s where I probably question some of them, but I’m not the manager.

“A fit Reece James is the best right-back in the world, for me. But can he (stay fit)? I think (John Stones) is a tremendous player. John’s problem is keeping fit.

Shaw played every match in the Premier League this season, while Maguire was excluded from Tuchel’s side despite an impressive campaign at the heart of United’s defence.

Maguire said he was ‘shocked’ and gutted’ after learning he had been left out.

Kyle Walker Gives Take on Phil Foden’s Omission

Phil Foden was also a controversial omission from Tuchel. Walker stopped short from saying he would’ve taken his former teammate to the World Cup.

He said: “I really like Phil Foden. I’ve played with him for eight years, but he’s not on the plane.

“It’s football. What do you do, sulk and cry in the corner, or work harder? think that in life there’s always setbacks, especially in football. It’s about how Phil bounces back now. You can’t affect that, that’s gone.

“He just needs to make sure that come the start of the new season, whoever the new manager will be for Manchester City now Pep has left, he puts his best foot forward and makes sure that he is the first name on the team sheet.”

England kickstart their World Cup campaign against Croatia on June 17. Matches against Ghana on June 23 and Panama on June 27 follow.

The world of football is a ruthless one which moves on fast from those who cannot keep up. Former Liverpool manager Arne Slot will be feeling that more keenly than most right now.

Indeed, just one season on from winning the Premier League with the Reds, the Dutchman was sacked this May. In fairness, it came off the back of a poor season for the Anfield club, who finished fifth in the league, with a startling 24 points fewer than what they had achieved in their title-winning campaign.

Despite the obvious issues, the feeling was that Slot would be given more time to turn things around, but the club hierarchy changed their minds swiftly, making a strong U-turn on their original plan. GIVEMESPORT understands that Slot was only informed of the decision on the same morning he was sacked, with the news made public less than a few hours later.

While Slot swiftly went out of fashion at Anfield, the good news is that it hasn’t taken him long to be linked with a new team.

Arne Slot Linked With World Cup Nation

Although the 47-year-old was immediately linked with a move to Italian giants AC Milan in the aftermath of his sacking, another big team have emerged as a possible destination. According to Dutch football expert Marcel van der Kraan, Slot is very keen on becoming his nation’s manager after the World Cup. Speaking to TalkSport, he explained:

Ronald Koeman has been in charge of the Dutch national team since 2023, leading them to the semi-finals of Euro 2024 before being knocked out by England in a 2-1 defeat. It’s fair to suggest that the job could become vacant again at the end of the summer, if the Netherlands fail to impress at the 2026 World Cup.

Arne Slot Was Shocked By Liverpool Sack Decision

It remains to be seen just how quickly Slot wants to return to management, but it seems as though he certainly wasn’t expecting to be out of work at this point in his career. Van der Kraan revealed that the news had come as a shock to the 47-year-old, noting:

Despite the surprise, Van der Kraan claimed that Slot bears no ill feeling towards Liverpool. He added, “I think he wasn’t bitter. He was more still [processing] that surprise, realising he didn’t win a trophy. And in football, you know, you get judged on trophies.”

That sense of respect for the club was penned an emotional message to Liverpool fans following his dismissal, in which Slot thanked them for their support, as he wrote: “You made me feel welcome from the start and helped me on the path. That is something I cherish.”