Fernandes: Porro’s call was a key moment in £85m Tottenham move

Matheus Fernandes says Pedro Porro played a decisive role in his £85m move to Tottenham from West Ham, with the Spanish full-back personally urging his former Sporting Lisbon team-mate to join the London club.

Tottenham completed the signing of the Portugal midfielder during the summer after winning a battle with Manchester United. Fernandes will strengthen the club’s midfield from the start of next season, with the transfer officially agreed for a fee of £85m.

Fernandes revealed Porro’s involvement in an interview with The Athletic, extracts of which were published by Mundo Deportivo. The pair previously played together at Sporting Lisbon, and Porro used that relationship to encourage Fernandes to choose Tottenham.

The new Tottenham player said Porro contacted him directly to make the club’s position clear.

“One day he called me and said: ‘Come on, Matheus, you have to play with us, we want you’,” said Fernandes.

Porro also told Fernandes that he had spoken to Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi about bringing the midfielder to the club.

“He admitted to me: ‘I was the one who asked the coach to sign you’,” Fernandes added.

The Spain international’s recommendation was one of the factors behind the move, but Fernandes said De Zerbi’s approach was equally important in persuading him to move to England.

Fernandes explained that the manager’s conversations with both him and his family had a major influence on his decision. De Zerbi is understood to have maintained regular contact with the player throughout the negotiations and presented himself as a source of support as Fernandes prepared for life in the Premier League.

“The way he spoke to me and my family was very important to me. He called me every day. He told me he would be like a second father to me in England. I am very happy to work with him,” Fernandes said.

The midfielder’s comments underline the personal element of Tottenham’s pursuit after the club secured his signature despite competition from Manchester United. While Porro’s recommendation opened the door, Fernandes identified De Zerbi’s persistence and his relationship with the player’s family as decisive in completing the deal.

Tottenham’s agreement with West Ham means Fernandes will join the club ahead of the next campaign, adding a Portugal international to their midfield options. His previous experience alongside Porro at Sporting Lisbon also helped Tottenham’s current full-back act as an intermediary during the transfer process.

For Fernandes, the move was shaped not only by the clubs’ negotiations but also by the direct encouragement of a former team-mate and the personal assurances provided by his new manager. Porro’s message that Tottenham wanted him, followed by De Zerbi’s daily calls, helped convince the midfielder that the London club was the right destination.