Southampton are set to complete the signing of a 20-year-old ace with lots of international youth team experience, according to an update from journalist Fabrizio Romano.
According to Romano on X, Southampton are “set to sign” Sporting CP midfielder Mateus Fernandes, snapping him up in a potential £15.3m deal after moves for Cameron Archer and Lesley Ugochukwu.
Fernandes may not be the household name that many Southampton supporters want to see arrive in the coming weeks, but he is an exciting young footballer who could be an excellent long-term addition for Martin.
At just 20, the Portuguese has already made 10 appearances for Sporting, scoring and assisting once apiece, and he has been capped for Portugal in four different age groups, as the table below shows:
| Mateus Fernandes’ international career | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Portugal Under-21s | 7 | 2 |
| Portugal Under-20s | 2 | 0 |
| Portugal Under-19s | 9 | 0 |
| Portugal Under-18s | 9 | 1 |
Granted, Fernandes isn’t a player who is may not arrive as an immediate starter for Southampton, making a huge difference in their attempts to avoid relegation from the Premier League this season, but he could be a handy squad player from the off.
He has enough experience at a high level to suggest that he should be able to do a solid job, but most exciting is the fact that he still has so many years ahead of him, and could therefore mature into a fantastic option for Saints over time.
