To think, in the era of endless speculation and an avalanche of identical Fabrizio Romano updates, transfers such as the one Southampton completed on Tuesday were supposed to be a thing of the past.
They are certainly a rareity.
Clubs announcing a new face like a bolt from the blue. Tottenham Hotspur did it on Friday, landing Burnley’s Wilson Odobert in a £30 million deal even Derren Brown did not see coming.
Mateus Fernandes, meanwhile, now joins Southampton in a similarly unexpected £15 million switch.
Snapped up on a five-year deal, a graduate from the esteemed Sporting Lisbon academy will bring energy, thrust, positivity, a fine passing range and eye-catching ball-carrying ability to St Mary’s, manager Russell Martin tells the club’s official website.
Vasco Seabra, meanwhile, worked with Fernandes during a loan spell at Estoril last term. And he sees similarities with another Sporting graduate; Manchester City’s £53 million former Wolves playmaker Matheus Nunes.
Southampton sign Sporting Lisbon’s Mateus Fernandes
“Talking about Mateus is very easy for me because he is a really good guy, very humble and with immense talent,” Seabra tells the BBC. “So it is easy to talk about a player with so many qualities that adapt so well to the Premier League, in my opinion.”
“He is a very strong and aggressive player with a great ability to cover a lot of ground. He can run many kilometres per game, works hard for the team and can play further back, in the initial build-up phase.
“With us, he always helped in the build-up from the back, making the transition of the ball to the end zone. But he can also play further forward, close to the goal, because he can make good attacking moves from the back.
“I believe that the Premier League is the right step and the ideal championship for him to continue growing, developing, playing a lot of minutes and, eventually, making it to the (Portugal) national team and having a high-level career.
“The more challenging the competition, the better he responds, always taking steps forward. Here in Portugal, he has faced opponents like Benfica and FC Porto and, against the best teams, he has always shown excellent performances.
“Here in Portugal, he is often compared to Matheus Nunes. I believe that Mateus Fernandes has similar characteristics,” Seabra explains. “However, he is a player who can play in more positions than Matheus Nunes.
“He can play in the initial phase, further back, but at the same time, if necessary, he can also play between the lines, as a false winger.”
Likened to Manchester City ace Matheus Nunes
Fernandes, then, feels tailor-made for Martin’s possession-heavy gameplan.
What’s more, the impact made by other players who have arrived from Portugal’s Primeira Liga – see Bruno Fernandes, Ruben Dias, Luis Diaz and more – will raise hopes of an immediate impact on the South Coast.
Former Sporting B team coach Filipe Celikkaya, meanwhile, feels that this was simply an offer that Fernandes could not refuse.
“There are opportunities that you can’t say no to,” Celikkaya tells A Bola.
“He is a very interesting player, with whom I had the pleasure of working. He is an excellent person and player, and Sporting thought it best to take immediate financial advantage.
“I wish him and his family the best.”
Southampton, who lost 1-0 to Newcastle United on the opening weekend, have also snapped up the likes of Cameron Archer, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Flynn Downes, Ben Brereton-Diaz and Yukinari Sugawara during a busy summer.
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