Mateus Fernandes has revealed that a single phone call with Pedro Porro played a decisive role in his decision to join Tottenham.
There is a clear need for Tottenham Hotspur to improve on their performance from last season, given how poorly they played.
A consecutive seventeenth-place finish is far from the lofty standards Spurs have maintained in the last decade, with last season one of the worst displays from Tottenham in recent years as they came close to losing their Premier League status.
Tottenham are now looking to rectify the poor display from the last campaign and are doing so aggressively by securing new additions.
So far this summer, six new players have been signed, with Tottenham splurging a whopping £237 million.
How Pedro Porro helped bring Mateus Fernandes to Tottenham
The bulk of their spending has gone into the midfield, with Spurs investing £185 million on the signings of Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali.
Tottenham had to beat their Premier League rivals to secure the signatures of these two stars, overcoming Manchester United to land Fernandes and Manchester City to bring in Tonali.
The former West Ham United man has now opened up on the role Pedro Porro played in convincing him to sign for Spurs.
Speaking to Stan Sport, Fernandes said: “Yeah he called me. But I was sleeping, so I did not answer, then he texted me and he said, ‘come on Mateus!’ In Portuguese, come on Mateus come to Tottenham.
“I said your name to the manager to bring you then when everything was done we spoke. We spoke about everything, the club, the mentality, the team spirit in the group you know, because last season was a difficult season for them.
“Something needed to change for this season can be even more epic. So yeah, it was about this – the details, you know not just about the game or the style of Mr De Zerbi, it was more about the people around the club, the stadium, the training ground, and it was a good conversation.”
Fernandes already showing his potential at Spurs
Fernandes has already announced himself to the Tottenham faithful, having featured in two pre-season matches so far this summer.
The 21-year-old was on target against MK Dons, scoring a worldie from outside the penalty area as Spurs secured a 1-0 victory over the League One side in their first pre-season outing.
Fernandes, however, has not been heavily involved in pre-season as he continues to nurse some calf fatigue. Tottenham will be hoping he recovers in time as they prepare to take on Brentford in less than three weeks.
- READ MORE: ‘I spoke with another team’ – Sandro Tonali admits ’10-minute chat’ made him choose Tottenham