Tottenham are reportedly looking to hijack Manchester United’s pursuit of Bruno Fernandes, who is valued at €65 million by Sporting Lisbon.
According to a report by Portuguese outlet RTP Noticias, Manchester United face losing out in the race to sign Bruno Fernandes. Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur are attempting to steal a march on the Red Devils for the Portuguese international, who has a €65 million price tag.
Manchester United have coincidentally been embroiled in a number of transfer sagas this season as they stretch it out till the end of the transfer window before bringing in some of their key targets. One such target, who has been linked with them all through the summer, is Bruno Fernandes, who has admitted that he is open to a move to the Premier League.
The Portuguese international enjoyed a stellar 2018-19 campaign, which was also his first as the Sporting Lisbon captain. In 53 appearances across all competitions, Fernandes had a return of 32 goals and 18 assists, making him one of the most prolific players in all of Europe. As a result, the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham are keen on signing him this summer.
A shift in formation to the 4-2-3-1 means Manchester United are in need of a player who can slot into the no. 10 role seamlessly. Their current options – Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard – are not ideal options for one reason or another. While Lingard is not creative or prolific enough, Mata lack of agility makes him unsuitable for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s high pressing style of play.
As a result, Fernandes is a viable target, who can also fill in as part of a midfield three, if the Manchester United boss makes use of a 4-3-3. But, while recent reports have claimed that the Red Devils are closing in on snapping him up, they now risk being beaten to his signature by Premier League rivals Tottenham.
The North Londoners are in a precarious situation due to the concerns surrounding the future of Christian Eriksen, who has heavily been linked with a summer exit. As a result, bringing in a prolific and creative reinforcement in the form of Bruno Fernandes makes sense for Tottenham.
The report suggests that Tottenham already have representatives in Lisbon to negotiate a transfer fee with Sporting president Frederico Varandas. Varandas has already claimed that he will not sell the player unless the club’s asking price is met, and it is unclear if either Manchester United or Spurs are willing to meet his €65 million valuation.
For now, it looks like Tottenham are prepared to press ahead with their late pursuit of Bruno Fernandes. But, with less than a week left for the summer transfer window to slam shut in England, it will be interesting to see if either the North London club or Manchester United end up signing the €65 million rated midfielder in the end.
