Manchester United may reprise their interest in attacking midfielder Bruno Fernandes of Sporting Lisbon in the January transfer window.
The Portuguese international was heavily linked with a move away from Portugal in the summer, but a transfer didn’t materialise as interested clubs were pretty much priced out of a move.
But, he could move before the end of the 2019-20 season, as per O Jogo. The Portuguese club are looking to cash in on their star player due to the debt that they have aggregated.
The report states that United could have the 25-year-old for £65 million in January. Tottenham are the other club that are interested in signing Fernandes, perhaps to replace Christian Eriksen, who is set to leave the club.
Fernandes has continued his fine form from last year, scoring 9 goals and 6 assists in all competitions this season. He ended last season with 32 goals in all competitions for Sporting Lisbon, which led to interest from various clubs in Europe.
The Portuguese international still has four years remaining on his current deal, which expires in 2023.
Should Ole make a move for Fernandes?
Manchester United need to add a few quality players in the next two transfer windows, to give them any chance of competing for the top 4 slots, let alone the Premier League title.
A creative midfielder is key for the Red Devils which is the reason for their pursuit of Fernandes.
There were reports doing the rounds a few months ago that United dropped interest in signing Fernandes because he gave the ball away too often. While that may be the case with the attacking midfielder, he contributes heavily in creating and scoring goals, which is an area that United desperately need to improve in.
Fernandes would fit in well in the United midfield, and could be the player that makes them tick with his passing, dribbling and goalscoring. He could form a good partnership with Fred and Scott McTominay, and would be a huge upgrade on the options that Solskjaer has in his position at the moment.
The likes of Juan Mata, Andreas Pereira, and Jesse Lingard haven’t been in good form, and it’s time that United parts ways with a few to bring in Fernandes.
At £65 million, Fernandes seems like a good buy, considering how expensive the market is, as well as a dearth of goalscoring attacking midfielders. Solskjaer should ensure that this deal gets done in January.