West Ham have already identified who they want to replace Mateus Fernandes, according to insider ExWHUEmployee.

The Portuguese international is set to seal a £85m move to Tottenham over the coming days after the North London club beat Manchester United to the player’s signature.

Writing on The West Ham Way Patreon (quotes via their website), Ex revealed that some of the proceeds from Fernandes’s sale will be spent on Troyes midfielder Martin Adeline:

“Once the Fernandes money arrives at the club, we are expected to make a move for the Frenchman.”

“We have produced a list of other targets that could be alternative targets as well, but Adeline remains a key target for now.”

What do fans need to know about Adeline?

The France youth international is still only 22 years of age, but he has spent time at seven different clubs already.

Adeline was in the youth systems of Rodex AF and RC Epernay before he had a two year spell in Paris Saint-Germain’s academy. He left PSG to join Stade de Reims in 2020, where he made his senior debut.

The midfielder had loan spells with Rodex AF and FC Annecy prior to joining current team Troyes in the summer of 2024 for €600,000.

Last campaign, Adeline was in outstanding form, racking up double figures for both goals and assists in France’s second tier.

West Ham are set to rip up their transfer plans

Before Fernandes’s sale, the club’s recruitment team were working with an extremely tight budget, which meant the club’s list of targets were very much low-cost options.

However, the impending injection of cash means that the Irons can afford to loosen the purse strings somewhat. Manager Nuno Espirito Santo can now shore up his first-team squad with players who should help guarantee the club’s return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

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