General football news
[Photo] Bruno Fernandes poses in Man Utd top after completing £67.5m move
Bruno Fernandes has completed his move from Sporting Lisbon to Manchester United after signing a five-and-a-half year contract, it has been confirmed
The January transfer window is drawing to a close so we’ll bring you all the latest news and gossip from around the globe. Today, Bruno Fernandes has completed his move to Manchester United…
Bruno Fernandes has completed his move from Sporting Lisbon to Manchester United after signing a five-and-a-half year contract, it has been confirmed this evening.
Fernandes to United has been the saga of the January transfer window as negotiations with Sporting have dragged on throughout the month but a breakthrough was finally reached earlier this week.
The Evening Standard were one of several media outlets to report on Wednesday morning that Man Utd had struck a deal that will see them pay £46.5m up front for Fernandes’ signature. As part of the deal, another £8.5m is due in realistic add-ons while a further £12.5m will be dependent on clauses such as Fernandes winning the Ballon d’Or, so the Red Devils could end up paying £67.5m.
The 25-year-old flew in to Manchester last night to undergo his medical and finalise personal terms. Those formalities were swiftly concluded and United announced on ManUtd.com this evening that Fernandes has joined the club.
The Portuguese attacking midfielder has penned a five-and-a-half year contract with an option to extend for a further year and he’ll wear the No.18 shirt at Old Trafford after it was vacated by Ashley Young following his move to Inter Milan.
After completing his move, Fernandes expressed his delight at joining Manchester United and revealed he’s been a fan of the club since watching Cristiano Ronaldo during his time at Old Trafford.
Fernandes told ManUtd.com:
“My love of Manchester United really started when I used to watch Cristiano Ronaldo play and ever since then I have been a big fan of this great club. For me to now play for Manchester United feels incredible, I have worked hard to get to this moment and I can promise the fans that I will give everything for the badge to help bring us more success and trophies. I want to thank Sporting for everything they have done for me. It is surreal to hear the nice words that have been said about me from players that used to play for this team. A massive thank you to Ole and everyone at Manchester United for the trust they have shown in me and I can’t wait to start to repay that on the pitch.”
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be pleased to get Fernandes on board as the United coach desperately needed to strengthen his squad for the second half of the season and the Portuguese star will add more creativity to his ranks.
Fernandes has been one of the most productive attacking midfielders in European football in recent years and he’s provided 15 goals and 14 assists this season alone for Sporting Lisbon.
United could certainly do with that sort of goal threat in their squad, especially with Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford on the sidelines, so Solskjaer will be hoping Fernandes can settle quickly and hit the ground running.
