There were three realistic candidates linked with the London Stadium — all strongly pursued at various points.
First came Harvey Elliott, the name on everyone’s lips after starring in England’s victorious U21 European Championship campaign. Liverpool were willing to let him go for somewhere between £30–£45 million, and Aston Villa snapped him up when he became surplus to requirements at Anfield.
Next was Jacob Ramsey, also moving on from Villa and — we were reliably told — Graham Potter’s number one target. West Ham submitted a firm bid for the Will Salthouse client, but Ramsey chose Newcastle instead.
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Ramsey was wanted by West Ham boss Potter
The third option was Mateus Fernandes, who had just been relegated with Southampton but stood out in a struggling side. After missing out on Ramsey, Claret & Hugh reported at the time that Fernandes had become Potter’s priority… though history is now being conveniently rewritten.
We now hear it was David Sullivan and Max Hahn who pushed for Fernandes rather than Potter and Kyle Macaulay. Honestly? Who knows — and to some extent, who cares? These days it seems every good signing is retroactively credited to the owners’ scouting, leaving Macaulay supposedly responsible for… well, nothing. Convenient indeed.
Fernandes was the best player on the pitch against Brighton
Whatever the Story, West Ham Made the Right Call
Regardless of who deserves the credit, West Ham clearly landed the right man. Perhaps it was strong scouting, perhaps good fortune — because if Jacob Ramsey had agreed to join, and Salthouse was no doubt pushing it, Fernandes might never have been signed at all.
What’s now absolutely obvious is that West Ham have a top talent on their hands — one who will not be sticking around for long if the Hammers suffer the dreaded drop.
And looking back at the trio of Elliott, Ramsey and Fernandes, it certainly feels like West Ham ended up with the best of the three.