Mourinho Targets Mateus Fernandes for Real Madrid Midfield Rebuild

José Mourinho has not even taken charge of a Real Madrid match yet, but the outline of his first project is already emerging — and at the heart of it sits a 21-year-old midfielder from a relegated West Ham United side.

Mateus Fernandes, one of the few bright sparks in a bleak campaign for the Hammers, has moved near the top of Mourinho’s wish list as the Portuguese coach plans a refresh of Madrid’s midfield.

Three goals. Four assists. Thirty-six Premier League appearances. Those numbers do not tell the full story of West Ham’s season, but they say plenty about Fernandes’ rise. While the club slid out of the top flight and into the reality of Championship football for 2026/27, the young midfielder’s reputation went the other way.

Relegation changes everything. A year ago, West Ham might have built around him. Now, with the club preparing for life outside the Premier League and a talent entering the most attractive phase of his career, an exit feels almost inevitable before the summer window closes.

Mourinho has sensed the opening.

According to Diario AS, the incoming Real Madrid coach has already submitted a list of targets to strengthen the “engine room” at the Bernabéu, and Fernandes’ name is on it. The report is blunt about Mourinho’s stance: he wants the player, and the club hierarchy have begun moving to satisfy their new manager.

This is not a quiet chase, either. Arsenal and Liverpool are also credited with strong interest, both tracking the West Ham standout as they look to inject energy and creativity into their own midfields. The Premier League’s elite have seen Fernandes up close; they know what he can offer.

Real Madrid bring a different kind of pull. The prospect of joining Mourinho, a fellow countryman and one of the most decorated managers of his generation, in a new era at the Bernabéu is the sort of opportunity that can tilt any transfer battle.

West Ham, stuck between the financial hit of relegation and the need to rebuild quickly, now hold a valuable but vulnerable asset. Madrid, Arsenal, and Liverpool are circling. Mourinho has made his move.

The next decision belongs to Mateus Fernandes — and it could shape not only his own career, but the first chapter of Mourinho’s second coming in Madrid.