Fernandes has become the last man standing for West Ham in their bid to rejuvenate Graham Potter\u2019s<\/a> woeful midfield options.<\/p>\n The Hammers have amassed a collection of midfielders who are all similar in profile, ageing, and seriously lacking in dynamism, pace, power, craft and guile.<\/p>\n It has been West Ham\u2019s biggest problem since the sale of Declan Rice to Arsenal.<\/p>\n West Ham at deadlock over Saints star Fernandes<\/p>\n And between David Moyes, Tim Steidten, Julen Lopetegui and the owners the Irons have failed miserably in solving it.<\/p>\n Potter and head of recruitment Kyle Macaulay<\/a> believe signing Southampton star Fernandes would go a long way to finally doing just that.<\/p>\n Despite Fernandes playing his part in one of the worst Premier League<\/a> teams in history after arriving on the south coast for \u00a315m last year, the 21-year-old was one of few shining lights in Southampton\u2019s season of gloom.<\/p>\n Potter refused to speak about Fernandes in his press conference this week after it was widely reported the Hammers saw a \u00a330m opening bid rejected by the Saints.<\/p>\n Southampton have reportedly told West Ham not to bother making a second bid unless it is worth at least \u00a350m.<\/p>\n That figure seems somewhat outrageous given established Premier League stars like Jacob Ramsey and James McAtee have moved for far less in the last week.<\/p>\n West Ham faced a similar situation when trying to sign goalkeeper Mads Hermansen from Leicester.<\/p>\n The Foxes originally quoted the Hammers \u00a335m plus for the Dane and West Ham walked away.<\/p>\n West Ham set for \u00a310m injection as sales loom<\/p>\n But after some brinkmanship from West Ham, a deal was eventually done at less than \u00a318m.<\/p>\n While Southampton don\u2019t have the same kind of financial issues as Leicester, the hope is West Ham can work come to some sort of reasonable compromise over Fernandes.<\/p>\n Especially after Will Still gave West Ham encouragement with a big Southampton transfer admission<\/a> this week.<\/p>\n Meeting in the middle of the two valuations, at around \u00a340m, would seem like a sensible conclusion.<\/p>\n Now West Ham are set for a \u00a310m injection which can bridge the Southampton gap for Fernandes.<\/p>\n After the signing of Hermansen, West Ham\u2019s owners revealed they are looking to sell fringe players<\/a> to help fund further additions.<\/p>\n Now, according to a close ally of Hammers majority owner \u2013 and de facto director of football \u2013 David Sullivan<\/a>, West Ham are about to come in to some much-needed money doing just that.<\/p>\n Top West Ham insider Sean Whetstone<\/a> is a confidant of Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady.<\/p>\n He has claimed that midfield duo Andy Irving<\/a> and Guido Rodriguez<\/a> are expected to leave West Ham soon. <\/p>\n It is claimed Irving will join a club in Scotland for between \u00a33-3.5m after the Hammers previously rejected a \u00a32.2m bid from Celtic. <\/p>\n Cash can help Hammers bridge Southampton gap for Fernandes<\/p>\n Rodriguez, signed on a free transfer last summer, is expected to move to a Saudi club \u2018within the next seven days for around \u00a36.5m\u2019.<\/p>\n![\"Mateus](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2229789374-1024x683.jpg\")
Photo by Matt Watson\/Southampton FC via Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"West](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2228380888-1-1024x683.jpg\")
Photo by Kevin C. Cox \u2013 Premier League\/Getty Images for Premier League<\/p>\n