Manchester United are about to launch a bid to sign Sporting CP captain Bruno Fernandes, according to A Bola via Sport Witness.
According to the A Bola, the star’s agent is currently in the UK discussing moves with both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.
Despite the claims from the A Bola, Jornal de Notícias are claiming that Sporting president Frederico Varanda is unlikely to accept any bid he considers to be ‘too low’ for Fernandes.
The reports seem to suggest that Fernandes could be available for transfer this summer. However, claims in Correio da Manha via The Sun, have said that Manchester United’s board aren’t too keen to shell out a huge fee for a player who hasn’t played in the Champions League regularly. This despite the £65m spent on Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Daniel James this summer.
Fernandes is an attacking midfielder by trade, and contributed a massive 50 goals (Transfermarkt) in all competitions last season. With Juan Mata, the only senior attacking midfielder at the club, the signing of Bruno Fernandes will ensure Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has more options next seasons.
Manchester United need to sign the Portuguese international, as the club requires an attacking midfielder who would provide something different to Mata, which Fernandes does with his goal-scoring ability. With late runs into the box beyond the striker, Fernandes has drawn comparisons to current Chelsea manager Frank Lampard.
Whether the club board loosen the purse strings or not is yet to be seen. However, one thing remains clear, and that is Manchester United’s need for greater creativity next season. Last season, Manchester United didn’t have a single player in the top 41 for big chances created in the Premier League.
While Fernandes may not make the same immediate impact, with 19 assists last season, he has shown he has the capabilities to plug a big gap in Manchester United’s forward line.
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