The first major signing of the January transfer window looks to be closing in, and Bruno Fernandes could finally complete a switch to the Premier League.
After being linked with both Manchester United and Spurs during the summer, no move eventually occurred for the midfielder.
Spurs were reported to have agreed a deal with the player before making their approach to Sporting, but the Portugal international was not allowed to leave the club .
But it looks like a deal to bring him to the Premier League could finally be done during the January window.
Here is what we know about the midfielder’s future.
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Tottenham’s interest
Portuguese publication Record, as reported by
Sport Witness, claimed that Spurs were ready to ‘move forward with a concrete proposal’ worth over € 91 million to sign Fernandes, while according to Jornal de Noticias a bid of € 90 million had been submitted.
However,football.londonunderstood early on in the transfer window that Spurs did not see the midfielder as a priority during the summer window.
Fernandes spoke numerous times about his future and suggested that he would like to move to the Premier League but these c omments from the playmaker were the most telling in the summer.
“The president decides that, not me,” he told A Bola. ************************
**************************** “I don’t care about the market, I’ve talked about this many times.
“The only thing I can do now is that I need to catch the plane so I don’t miss it. Will this be the last match for Sporting? I don’t know, it’s the coach who decides.
************ Bruno Fernandes celebrates the Taca de Portugal with trophy (Image: Gualter Fatia / Getty Images)****************
“I said I’d like to play in England, but I don’t care about it right now. If it could be this season? It could be when the club decides, I’m not in charge. “
Sporting CP’s stance
Sporting CP manager Marcel Keizer spoke about the future of Fernandes and explained that any exit would depend on who the club could buy to replace him.
“It depends, of course, on who can enter later if Bruno leaves. Quality players like that we can’t replace.”
Spurs ‘meeting’
Reports from the Portugeuse media claimed that Tottenham sent a delegation to Lisbon to make an offer for Fernandes on August 1.
Public service broadcaster RTPandO Jogoboth claimed that Spurs traveled to the city to try and agree a deal.
Record – as translated by Sport Witness- have suggested that a € 70 milion bid was rejected by Sporting CP president Frederico Varandas at a meeting between the two sides.
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************ Bruno Fernandes of Sporting CP(Image: Gualter Fatia / Getty Images)****************
further, the report claimed Spurs and Sporting CP could hold another meeting within the next week, although according to Sky Sports the north London club were not interested in making any further bids.
It was a curious situation. For representatives of Tottenham to fly to the Portuguese capital to make an offer below the asking price for a player they did not see as a priority earlier in the window, and to then apparently end up deciding against taking any further action, seemed an odd move .
Some Spurs fans even suggested that the club was merely trying touse Sporting and Fernandes in a bid to spook Real Betisand get a better deal for Giovani Lo Celso.
‘Agreement reached’ with the player
According to Portuguese journalist Goncalo Lopes, Tottenham and Fernandes reached an agreement over personal terms although Spurs did not reach an agreement with the player’s club.
It was claimed that the latest offer made by Tottenham was € (m plus €) ***************************************************************************************************************************************** (m in add ons, a fee which fell € m short of Sporting’s valuation.
Manchester United’s involvement
However, there were conflicting reports over Manchester United’s involvement in the deal .
Lopes claimed that there has been ‘no contact’ between the club and the player’s agent, but Portuguese outlet cm jornal
claimed that super agent Jorge Mendes , who was tasked with sorting a move for Fernandes, was in Manchester discussing a € (m bid from the Red Devils.)Ferna ndes’ reaction
Reports in Portugal claimed that Bruno Fernandes was starting to feel ‘uneasy’ about the situation regarding his future.
According to Record (via************** (SportsWitness), the player told Sporting that he was not enjoying how the transfer saga was working out.
Tottenham were said to have made an offer of € m for the midfielder, therefore triggering a clause in the player’s contract that meant his club would have to pay him € 5m due to a loyalty clause after they turned down an offer in excess of € (m.
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************ Bruno Fernandes during Sporting Lisbon’s pre-season friendly against Valencia(Image: Gualter Fatia / Getty Images)****************
However, Sporting were said to be reluctant to pay the money, and instead considered offering Fernandes a new contract worth € 5m a year.
The Portuguese club were reportedly holding out for a fee of € m , with super agent Jorge Mendes involved in the deal.
The article in Record went on as far to say that the player ‘can no longer cope’ with the transfer saga, but was not ready to force a move from his club to Spurs.
Fernandes opens up on failed move
The player admitted after the transfer window closed that he agreed a deal to join Spurs.
But Tottenham did not have an agreement with Sporting over a fee for the player.
In an interview with GQ, Fernandes said: “As you all know, To ttenham made a lot of proposals for me. Everything was right with me – or practically should be.
“I never made any big demands, my manager was always dealing with the finances. It was, and is my goal to play in England, Sporting know that, everyone knows that, and there were conditions for things to be done.
“But Sporting understood that the value was not enough and I have to respect the decision. “
Real Madrid move
When the summer transfer window closed in England, a move to another European club seemed like the only possible option for Fernandes.
Real Madridreportedly
agreed a £ 91 million deal for the midfielder on deadline day in Spain, but a move failed to materialise.
That meant that Fernandes would need to stay on Portugal unt il January at least.
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(Fernandes) ‘practically guaranteed’ to leave(Portuguese outlet) ******************************************************** (A Bolaare now reporting that Bruno Fernandes is “practically guaranteed” to leave the club.
It’s likely to come in the summer transfer window, but could come in January, with Spurs and Manchester United said to be the two “strongest interested” clubs.
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******************** (Image: Erwin Spek / Soccrates / Getty Images)****************
They state that the midfielder is set to be offered a pay rise in Lisbon – but the end date of his contract and the release clause will not change.
His buyout clause is still set at € million, but apparently Sporting would be willing to accept an offer of around € m for their midfielder in January.
Mourinho is said to be a fan of the – year- old, and the manager’s arrival in north London could prove enough to entice the midfielder to pick Spurs over Manchester United.
(New contract signed)
Sporting have confirmed that the midfielder has signed a new contract at the club, although it is understood that the buyout clause and length of contract remains the same, with the player just receiving a pay rise due to his performances.
“It’s a pride for me and a recognition of my work, it’s a sign that I I’m doing things well. I have been trying my best to do what is best for the club, “the midfielder told the (official website.
“It is for what I did on the pitch, but also showed that I liked Sporting CP and took pride in representing the club. Club I represent.”
“For me it is, and always will be, a privilege to be here and be able to wear the Sporting CP jersey,” he added.
“You can expect more and better. I promise the same delivery and dedication so we can have more moments of glory as we had last season. “
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Stay up to date with all the latest Tottenham Hotspur newsfrom Alasdair Gold, Rob Guest and thefootball.londonteam across our social media channels.
Twitter: You can follow our dedicatedSpurs account, Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Goldand football reporter Rob Guest.
(Facebook) ******************: You can follow our (Spurs pageandAlasdair Gold.
WhatsApp:************************************************ Click hereto enroll or text NEWS to and then add the number to your phone contacts book as (spurs dot london(case sensitive, with spaces ) to receive daily updates and breaking news.
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Mourinho rules out Spurs move
Tottenham fans will have hoped to see a renewed move for Fernandes this Janaury.
But that does not look to be the case.
When asked about his countryman, Jose Mourinho said: “We are not a club that is going to make big transfers in the market, nor is it going towards players who are already developed or at a certain level of expectation, also economically.
“I would definitely say no because Bruno is a player of a level and value that is not for us. “
Man United close in
That leaves the door open for United to clinch a transfer.
And it looks like the Red Devils are taking that opportunity with both hands.
Filipe Dias, editor-in-chief of Portuguese publication O Jogo spoke to Sky Sports about the midfielder’s future.
He said: “The story so far is that Unit ed this time are really closing in on Bruno Fernandes. There are talks between the two clubs and we figured that a deal might be close in the next few days, or hours even, because Sporting need money badly. “
And Dias explained why Fernandes did not complete a move to Spurs in the summer.
He added: “The situation has changed since last summer. They did not accept a deal with Tottenham for € 91 million but that would have been paid with € million upfront and then another € 29 million.
“Now Sporting will accept € million, but paid in instalments. United is a club that Bruno Fernandes really likes in England, it’s a club that he really wants to play for. “
The future of Nemanja Matic is uncertain, with Inter Milan li nked with a move for the midfieder.
And the Serbian’s possible departure is reportedly what has accelerated the Bruno Fernandes deal.
Speaking on the Reach PLC Transfer Window Podcast
, Castles said: “What I can tell you now is that Manchester United have decided that they have to recruit in central midfield.
“Whether that’s done in January or the summer remains to be seen but there is a strong possibility that they’ll do it in this window, particularly if Nemanja Matic leaves the club.
“They need to give Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at least one more body in what is already a depleted understaffed midfield. Bruno Fernandes is a strong option there. ”
United in preliminary talks over deal
Manchester United have reportedly been “offered the opportunity” to sign Fernandes for € (m) £ (6m).
(************************************************************** (The Independentreport that the two clubs are in preliminary talks, with agent Jorge Mendes involved.
However, United are said to be prioritizing short-term options in the January market, with Leicester star James Maddison said to be their No.1 target.
But the state of their current midfield options could force a move, with Scott McTominay and Paul Pogba both out injured.
A move is not expected to take place in the coming days, with the midfielder starting and scoring a penalty in his club’s win over Setubal on Saturday night.
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