In a club interview published less than 24 hours after the climax of the 2025-26 season, Tottenham Hotspur head coach Roberto De Zerbi outlined his priorities ahead of his first full campaign in charge.“I want to improve build-up because normally you are focused on the last 30 metres, but you can improve the last 30 metres if you play better in the first 70 metres,” he said.Tottenham’s transfer business in June suggests the same. Centre-backs Marcos Senesi (signed on a free transfer) and Jan Paul van Hecke (for £52million from Brighton & Hove Albion) have already arrived. The duo ranked first and second respectively for line-breaking pass attempts in the Premier League in 2025-26.And now Mateus Fernandes has joined them in north London. On Thursday morning, Spurs completed a move worth £85m ($113m) for the West Ham United midfielder, who becomes their most expensive signing ever. But perhaps not for long, with Spurs also closing in on Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali in a deal that could reach £100m.These are exorbitant fees that will encourage Spurs fans for other reasons, but they are moves that make plenty of sense on the pitch too.Fernandes in particular could be a transformative signing — but how will he fit in…?Fernandes doesn’t turn 22 until July 10 but has already made 129 senior club appearances across stints with West Ham and Southampton in England, and Estoril Praia and Sporting in his native Portugal. He made his international debut for Roberto Martinez’s side in a friendly against the USA in April.He was often used as a central midfielder with the freedom to get into attacking areas earlier in his career. That was the case initially at West Ham, having joined last summer from Southampton in a deal worth £41m, before Nuno Espirito Santo dropped him into a deeper role.As a No 6, Fernandes’ influence grew. In possession, he was crucial to West Ham’s build-up, as seen below, relying on a mix of ball-carrying and quick passes over the top with either foot to progress the ball.Fernandes averaged 5.3 long balls (passes that travelled over 35 yards) per 90 minutes and ranked 15th in accuracy at 62 per cent among the 211 Premier League players to attempt at least 50 such passes.In the below example against Manchester United, he is initially marked by Kobbie Mainoo. Once he gets on Mainoo’s blindside, Fernandes makes himself available, receives and quickly switches the play.Passes like these were crucial in getting West Ham up the pitch.In the aforementioned post-season interview, De Zerbi also said, “We have to improve in the control of the game, for sure in the finishing, the last pass, the assists, a lot of things.”