Mourinho Targets Mateus Fernandes for Real Madrid Rebuild

José Mourinho has not even taken charge of a Real Madrid training session yet, but the outline of his first big move is already emerging. The Portuguese coach has set his sights on West Ham United midfielder Mateus Fernandes, a player whose stock has risen sharply despite a brutal season for his club.

West Ham dropped out of the Premier League and into the Championship for 2026/27, yet Fernandes walked away from the wreckage with his reputation enhanced. Across 36 league appearances, the 21-year-old delivered three goals and four assists, but those numbers only hint at his influence. He was one of the few consistent bright spots in a side sliding towards the trapdoor.

Relegation changes everything. It tightens budgets, opens doors, and puts promising talent in the shop window. Fernandes is not expected to hang around for a year in the second tier, and Europe’s elite have noticed.

Mourinho, according to Diario AS, has done more than just notice. As he works through a list of midfield targets for his incoming Real Madrid project, the West Ham youngster features prominently. The report states that the new coach has already submitted his recommendations to the hierarchy at the Bernabéu, with Fernandes among the names he wants in his revamped engine room. Real Madrid, for their part, are described as already moving to satisfy their incoming manager’s request.

The interest is not limited to Spain. Arsenal and Liverpool are also tracking Fernandes, both clubs alive to the opportunity that comes with a relegated side trying to restructure. For West Ham, that means a looming battle to maximise value on a player who has quickly become one of their most saleable assets.

For Fernandes, it could mean a choice that defines the next decade of his career: stay and lead a promotion charge, or step straight into the glare of the Champions League, with Mourinho and Real Madrid pushing hard to make him part of their next era.