Southampton have signed promising Sporting CP talent Mateus Fernanades for £12.8m, plus the potential for a further £4m in add ons, as they continue to bolster their squad upon return to the Premier League.
The 20-year-old has signed a five-year deal at the south coast club and becomes Russell Martin's 11th new addition to join up with the squad this summer - with their total expenditure now in excess of £85m.
The announcement of Fernandes has come just days after Southampton's opening day defeat away to Newcastle, a game in which the Saints significantly lacked a creative threat - something the Portuguese under-21 international could certainly bring.
He becomes the third signing in just five days, with striker Cameron Archer and Chelsea-loanee Lesley Ugochuckwu both joining last Friday.
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His career so far...
At 20-years-old, Fernanades' career has only just begun, but based on the reaction from the Sporting CP fans after the club announced his departure, Southampton certainly have a promising prospect on their hands.
Having joined the academy in 2016, Fernandes' potential continued to grow and he was promoted to Sporting's B-team for the 2021/22 season, with the then-17-year-old signing his first professional contract that ran until 2027 and included a €60m release clause.
He made his debut for the first team in October 2022 and went on to make 10 appearances for the club, inducing one in the Champions League during their 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur, before joining Estoril on a loan last season.
Fernandes played 29 times in the league, scoring one and assisting two - with the young player putting in performances that impressed his parent club.
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What to expect from Fernandes?
Despite beginning his career as an attacking midfield, Fernandes has developed into a typical box-to-box player - a number eight if you will.
Not only does he cover a lot of ground and work hard for the team, but he is also incredibly gifted on the ball, with the 20-year-old having the ability to move the ball quickly and effectively - a great trait to have in the Premier League.
When under pressure, Fernandes is comfortable with getting out of tight positions, and tends to follow it up with a pinpoint accurate pass - whether that is short or long.
His best attribute is picking the ball up from deep, driving forward with it, and playing that killer pass through the defensive lines to kick-start the attack for his side, something the Saints were missing from their opening day defeat to Newcastle.
However, he is pretty solid defensively too. Fernandes is not afraid of getting stuck in and likes to intercept and tackle opponents aggressively, although his best attributes are going forward.
He may not score many goals, although his finishing is far from poor, but this is due to the role he tends to play within the team, with Fernandes tending to start the attacks rather than finish them off.
Overall, he was labelled as a future captain by many Sporting CP fans and his departure has been met with anger from their fanbase, suggesting Southampton have a real prospect on their hands.
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What is next for Southampton?
With Fernandes being the club's 11th new arrival to join up with the squad this summer, and with the São Paulo duo of Juan and Wellington joining in January, Southampton's transfer business is likely to slow down - at least incoming wise.
A new goalkeeper may be the final port of call for Martin this summer, with Aaron Ramsdale and Sam Johnstone the names being linked with a move.
In terms of outgoings, Armel Bella-Kotchap, Charly Alcaraz and Sekou Mara are all expected to depart the club before the August 30th deadline, with the latter already agreeing a £10.2m move to Strasbourg.
