Manchester Unitedhave been offered the opportunity to signBruno Fernandesand are interested in the Sporting midfielder but talks remain at a preliminary stage.
Sporting are asking for a fee of € (m) £ (m) for the 31 – year-old and are eager to engineer a move this month, with agent Jorge Mendes pushing the deal, having failed to capitalise on interest during the summer.
United were one of several clubs linked with Fernandes last year but ultimately opted against making an offer and distanced themselves from the player as the summer went on.
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Injuries to Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay have since left managerOle Gunnar Solskjaerlight in midfield. Ander Herrera and Marouane Fellaini are also yet to be replaced since departing last year, and Solskjaer is currently badly in need of the kind of creativity Fernandes would offer.
United are nevertheless understood to be prioritising short-term options in the January market, with Solskjaer claiming on Friday that a temporary fix would not be “the worst thing (to) do”. There is a view that any full purchases now could jeopardise potentially superior deals in the summer, especially with the club making
James Maddisona number -one target. The state of the current midfield options, however, may force their hand.
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