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Tottenham Hotspur: Mauricio Pochettino came close to signing Bruno Fernandes
Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes has admitted that Tottenham were close to signing him but revealed that Daniel Levy was reluctant to meet Sporting Libson’s valuation.
Fernandes moved to Old Trafford for £47m in January, a figure which eventually rose to £68m. It is fair to say the 25-year-old has been a total revelation ever since, as he has scored two goals and supplied three assists in only five Premier League appearances. He is currently valued at £43m via Transfermarkt.
Nevertheless, the Portuguese midfielder revealed that things might have been very different if former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino had got his way last summer. Taking part in a fan Q&A on Instagram (as relayed by The Metro), Fernandes said: “The first club that was close to signing me was Tottenham with (Mauricio) Pochettino.
“But I don’t know, maybe they thought the amount Sporting wanted was too much so in that moment Sporting decided they don’t want to sell.
“Tottenham came in the summer but Manchester (United) was in January. Maybe Tottenham came again in January, but when I knew Manchester was interested I just wanted to talk to Manchester.”
Pochettino was unceremoniously sacked in November after five years in charge of the club. After their Champions League final heartbreak last year, Spurs made a disappointing start to the season and were 14th in the Premier League when he left north London (BBC).
Club legend Harry Redknapp was adamant at the time that players had under-performed. He told Sky Sports News: “They’ve got him the sack, at the end of the day. They haven’t performed well enough, that’s why he’s lost his job. If they all loved him so much, perhaps they should have done a bit better for him.”
Before he arrived in England, Fernandes had bagged 63 goals and provided 52 assists in 137 games for the Green and Whites (Transfermarkt). As it stands, he has made a huge difference on the pitch for the Red Devils. Indeed, he has also bagged a goal and an assist in three games in the Europa League, taking 3.7 shots per game and making three key passes on average (via WhoScored).
In comparison, Tottenham’s record signing Tanguy Ndombele has registered two goals but has produced fewer assists than the Portugal international in the Premier League, despite the fact he has made more appearances this season. Moreover, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side are unbeaten since Fernandes’ arrival.
Given his performances so far, it is hard to argue that Fernandes wouldn’t have had a similar impact if he had joined Tottenham instead.
Tottenham fans, do you regret missing out on Bruno Fernandes? Let us know by commenting below!
