Tottenham Hotspur have joined Manchester United in the race to sign Sporting Lisbon midfielder Bruno Fernandes. The 24-year-old has been linked with a move to the Red Devils over the last two months following a fantastic season at the Portuguese club.
Spurs have moved to sign Fernandes after being priced out of a deal to sign Real Betis’ Giovani Lo Celso. The English side made an offer of £52 million for Lo Celso, but the Spanish club reportedly want Spurs to trigger Lo Celso’s release clause, which stands at £88 million, as per Standard. The report states that Spurs have sent senior club officials to negotiate a deal to bring Fernandes to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The London club have already bought one midfielder, signing Tanguy Ndombele from Lyon for a club-record fee of £55.45 million, but will have to sign another midfielder as a replacement for Christian Eriksen, who has been linked with a move away this summer.
Fernandes scored 32 goals for Lisbon in the 2018-19 season, which caught the attention of several top clubs in Europe. The midfielder has made 13 appearances for the Portuguese national team since debuting in 2017.
Good move by Spurs?
Spurs might need to add one big-name player to their attacking midfield irrespective of Christian Eriksen’s future. Mauricio Pochettino will surely need another attacking midfielder apart from Dele Alli in his squad if the Dane leaves, which is where Bruno Fernandes will fit in perfectly. Fernandes has fantastic technical ability, vision, and the composure to score and assist a lot of goals for his team.
The Portuguese midfielder is a good dribbler, can shoot from distance, and has a wide range of passing – long and short, which will make him a good fit for Pochettino’s team. In his incredible 2018-19 season, Fernandes scored 32 goals and provided 18 assists in all competitions for Sporting Lisbon. He is an all-round player who can pass, shoot and control the tempo of the game.
Fernandes is a rounded player, who, I feel, would be a better buy than Lo Celso for Spurs. If Spurs can pip Manchester United to the signature of Fernandes, it would not only be a good signing for Spurs but will also rob their rival of a quality player.
Stats Courtesy: Transfermarkt
