Manchester City are eyeing a summer transfer for Sporting CP’s in-form midfielder Bruno Fernandes, it has been claimed.
According to The Sun, the Premier League champions are ready to challenge arch-rivals Manchester United in the pursuit of Fernandes, who has been in sublime form this season.
It is believed that the Sporting CP captain could cost around £90 million as Pep Guardiola’s men look to add to their attacking options in the upcoming summer transfer window.
Bruno Fernandes: An ideal signing for Manchester City?
In addition to the fullback and midfield department, Manchester City might look to strengthen their attacking reserve as well, especially with David Silva already nearing the final phase of his career.
The Spaniard has been a vital part of City’s creative department but his fluctuating form when played over a series of games have forced the English champions to appear overreliant on the services of Bernardo Silva.
Therefore, the addition of someone like Bruno Fernandes could make sense for Guardiola’s troops as they aim to maintain their dominance in English football in the coming seasons.
The Sporting CP star, as mentioned earlier, is in the form of his career at the moment, having played a key role in his side’s impressive campaign under Marcel Keizer.
Fernandes normally plies his trade in the attacking midfield role, where his ability to conjure dangerous crosses or key passes could revamp Manchester City’s creative department. He has averaged three key passes per game in the Portuguese top flight this season – a tally only bettered by Rodrigo Soares.
In addition, the 24-year-old is a fairly proficient when it comes to set-pieces as one of his three key passes per game come from corners or free-kicks. This could be beneficial for a Manchester City side, especially when breaking down defensively stubborn opposition.
Most importantly, however, Fernandes’ knack for scoring goals will certainly bolster an already fearful City attacking contingent who rely heavily on their attacking midfielders to contribute to their mind-boggling scoring statistics.
As a matter of fact, Fernandes has been the highest scoring midfielder in Europe this season, having scored a whopping 28 goals in all competitions whilst providing 15 assists, arguably justifying his hefty price-tag of £90 million.
Pep has implemented a relentless attacking set-up at City and considering the success, he has derived from that, another addition in the form of Fernandes could very well make them unbeatable, something City have already flirted with in the last two seasons.
All things considered, the Portuguese midfield sensation could turn out to be an extremely useful asset for Guardiola next season and at the age of just 24, he can turn out to be a smart long-term investment as well.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored
The Portuguese League is not the strongest and those who shine there do not always convert to PL successes. £90m seems ridiculously high, maybe half that would be realistic. After all, £67m is looking pretty stupid for Jorginho after a year at Chelsea and he came from Serie A!