Manchester United have initiated talks with Sporting CP regarding the potential arrival of former summer target Bruno Fernandes, who could cost £60 million.
According to O Jogo, Manchester United are prepared to make a move for Bruno Fernandes in this January transfer window. The club officials have already held talks with the Portuguese outfit regarding the potential arrival of the midfielder. However, Sporting are reluctant on offloading Fernandes for less than £60 million.
United have appeared quite keen on signing a new midfielder this month following a host of problems in the creative department throughout the course of the ongoing campaign. Marquee player Paul Pogba has been out injured for almost the entirety of the season. The Frenchman has featured in only 520 minutes of league football so far.
Elsewhere, Ander Herrera left the club in the summer after seeing out his contract. And while Juan Mata extended his contract, the Spaniard has been largely ineffective. In fact, the ex-Chelsea star is yet to register a single assist in the Premier League this season.
As a result, Ole-Gunnar Solskjaer has had to rely on the likes of Andreas Pereira and Jesse Lingard, with the latter not being involved in a single league goal in 2019.
Therefore, it comes as no surprise as to why United have rekindled their interest in Fernandes in this winter transfer window. The Portuguese international could potentially fill the void in the club’s creative department, which is evidently missing the presence of a well-rounded playmaker, who can boost the chance creation in the final third.
Fernandes, to that extent, could even be an upgrade over players like Mesut Ozil or Georginio Wijnaldum as he can not only create chances but can also provide the finishing touch.
The Sporting CP star was notably the most lethal midfielder in Europe’s top seven leagues last season. Even this season, Fernandes has been involved in 26 goals in just 24 competitive matches. And this productivity could be useful for United, especially with the club lacking a prolific forward following the summer departure of Romelu Lukaku.
Hence, it might not be a bad idea for the Red Devils to splash £60 million on Fernandes this month. It seems unlikely they will be successful in the pursuit of James Maddison or Christian Eriksen – making the Portuguese international the ideal alternative as United look to continue their overhaul under Solskjaer.
