With Mateus Fernandes now through the door at Tottenham, we have taken a closer look at the three different ways Roberto De Zerbi could utilise him in a new-look Spurs midfield.
Tottenham Hotspur have finally got their hands on one of their midfield targets in Mateus Fernandes.
An £85 million deal was agreed with West Ham United for the transfer of the 21-year-old as Spurs look to bolster their midfield ranks.
Official confirmation awaits following reports from the likes of David Ornstein and Fabrizio Romano, but that has done little to curtail the excitement among Tottenham supporters.
The midfielder is set to become one of Spurs’ record signings and, with that, comes the pressure of hitting the ground running.
We already know that Fernandes possesses immense quality given how his numbers stack up against Tottenham’s midfielders.
Fernandes is also versatile, and that versatility could prove vital for Spurs next season. With that in mind, we have now taken a look at three ways he could be deployed by Roberto De Zerbi.
Tottenham could use Mateus Fernandes as a number six
One position where Fernandes could very much thrive is in defensive midfield as the number six for Tottenham.
That role last season was mostly occupied by Joao Palhinha or Rodrigo Bentancur, but with Palhinha having returned to Bayern Munich, Fernandes looks primed to fill it at some stage next campaign.
If he is deployed as the deepest midfielder, it would hint at Spurs playing in a 4-3-3 formation.
While he is capable of filling in there, it is far from his preferred position, having played as a defensive midfielder just 13 times throughout his career.
Last season at West Ham United, he featured there on only seven occasions, registering one assist.
However, his underlying numbers from the last campaign suggest he is more than capable of performing the role.
Fernandes ranked first among Tottenham’s midfielders for forward passes and progressive passes, while also placing second for duel success, possession won, progressive carries and forward pass percentage.
| Player | Duel % Rank | Possession Won Rank | Progressive Carries Rank | Forward Passes Rank | Forward Pass % Rank | Key Passes Rank | Progressive Passes Rank | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mateus Fernandes | 1st | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | 3,302 |
| João Palhinha | 2nd | 1st | 7th | 2nd | 5th | 7th | 2nd | 2,486 |
| Lucas Bergvall | 7th | 7th | 1st | 7th | 7th | 5th | 7th | 1,085 |
| Archie Gray | 6th | 6th | 4th | 4th | 4th | 3rd | 3rd | 1,673 |
| Conor Gallagher | 5th | 5th | 5th | 5th | 3rd | 1st | 4th | 1,328 |
| Pape Matar Sarr | 4th | 3rd | 3rd | 6th | 1st | 4th | 5th | 1,613 |
| Rodrigo Bentancur | 3rd | 4th | 6th | 3rd | 6th | 6th | 6th | 2,077 |
A 4-3-3 formation with Fernandes could see Spurs line up this way: Kinsky; Porro, Van Hecke, Van de Ven, Udogie; Fernandes; Maddison, Kulusevski; Kudus, Solanke, Savinho
Spurs could unleash Mateus Fernandes as a box-to-box midfielder
If Fernandes is not used in a single pivot, then the next and perhaps most natural role for the 21-year-old would be as one of two box-to-box midfielders.
Central midfield is where the Portuguese has featured the most throughout his career, making 97 appearances in the position.
He has also shown that he offers far more than just the midfield basics, possessing that all-important ability to chip in with goals.
Across those 97 appearances in central midfield, Fernandes has produced 11 goals and 13 assists. Last season alone, he featured 20 times there for West Ham, returning three goals and three assists.
| Position | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Central Midfield | 97 | 11 | 13 |
| Attacking Midfield | 45 | 4 | 8 |
| Defensive Midfield | 13 | – | 1 |
| Right Winger | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| Left Midfield | 5 | – | 1 |
| Left Winger | 5 | – | – |
| Right Midfield | 2 | – | – |
| Centre-Forward | 1 | – | – |
His statistics also suggest he can improve Spurs in possession, ranking first for both forward passes and progressive passes when compared to Tottenham’s current midfield options.
With Fernandes operating in a double pivot, Tottenham could line up like this: Kinsky; Porro, Van Hecke, Van de Ven, Udogie; Fernandes, Tonali; Maddison; Kudus, Solanke, Savinho
Tottenham also have the option of using Mateus Fernandes as a number 10
Another option Fernandes gives Roberto De Zerbi is the ability to operate as a number 10.
Of course, the 21-year-old has featured there a handful of times during his career and, notably, far more often than he has in defensive midfield.
In fact, for West Ham he was used as an attacking midfielder eight times compared to seven appearances as a defensive midfielder.
| Position | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Central Midfield | 20 | 3 | 3 |
| Attacking Midfield | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| Defensive Midfield | 7 | – | 1 |
| Left Midfield | 3 | – | – |
| Right Midfield | 1 | – | – |
| Left Winger | 1 | – | – |
Across his career, Fernandes has played 45 matches as an attacking midfielder, contributing four goals and eight assists.
That shows if De Zerbi wishes, he can deploy the Portuguese in a more advanced role. Doing so would mean competing with the likes of James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Xavi Simons for a place.
It might be a rare sight to see Fernandes in the number 10 position, but given the injury crises Spurs have regularly dealt with over the course of recent seasons, it is certainly not beyond the realms of possibility.
Should De Zerbi opt to use Fernandes there, Spurs could line up as follows: Kinsky; Porro, Van Hecke, Van de Ven, Udogie; Tonali, Bentancur; Fernandes; Kudus, Solanke, Savinho
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