Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed the signing of Benfica and Portugal midfielder Gedson Fernandes. The 21-year-old old prodigy had initially looked set to arrive at West Ham until Spurs snatched the midfielder at the last minute. He arrives at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on an 18-month loan deal with an option to buy, and by electing to move to Spurs the midfielder has presented compatriot and manager Jose Mourinho with the opportunity to prove he can develop young prospects, despite criticism previously in his career with regards to his record of developing youth.
Previously the Portuguese boss has used Raphael Varane and Scott McTominay as proof he can develop young players, but considering his vast managerial experience, two players is a tiny proportion of those he has coached. Fernandes allows Mourinho to add to that list, as the 21-year-old has displayed flashes of brilliance in the Portuguese top-flight. However, keeping the midfielder on side will be Mourinho’s number one priority as he leaves Benfica under a haze having fallen out with manager Bruno Lage, which has led to Fernandes scarcely featuring this term.
However, last season the box to box midfielder made 22 appearances in the Primeira Liga as Benfica lifted the league title. The 21-year-old could be considered a more dynamic option than Eric Dier and Harry Winks in the Spurs midfield and will be in direct competition with Moussa Sissoko and Tanguy Ndombele for a starting place. Mourinho already appears to have fallen out with the younger of Spurs’ French midfielder’s over an injury issue, stating Ndombele was “always injured” yet he is “training normally”. If the Portuguese boss is to get the best out of his first Tottenham signing, he may want to exercise a little more caution when speaking about Fernandes publicly.
It will be interesting to see if Mourinho sees Fernandes as a squad player or someone he can immediately thrust into the starting line-up. Either way, by signing the 21-year-old the manager has presented himself with an opportunity to prove he can coach youth players. After replacing Mauricio Pochettino, arguably one of the greatest coaches in the game, who has noticeably improved players such as Son Heung-min, Moussa Sissoko and Dele Alli, it will be the ultimate comparison to see if Mourinho can replicate his predecessor’s ability to improve the players at his disposal.
