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Bruno Fernandes at Manchester United

THFCSPURS19

The Speaker of the Transfer Rumours Forum
Jan 6, 2013
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134,221

Bruno Fernandes might have signed a new four-year deal at Sporting Lisbon... but don't be fooled. Nothing has changed and the Tottenham and Manchester United target is STILL as determined as ever to leave
Bruno Fernandes signed a new contract with Sporting, but nothing has changed.

His deal runs through until 2023, the release clause is also the same, €100million (£85m), only the midfielder is now the highest paid player in the squad having agreed a contract worth €2m (£1.7m) per season.

But crucially, this new contract does not change Fernandes' willingness to leave and the new deal is born out of what was already stipulated at the end of last season

That is, in 2018, Fernandes and Sporting reached an understanding that if the Portuguese club rejected offers of over €35m (£30m), they would have to pay him and his agent to the tune of €5m (£4.3m).

Thus, the way Sporting found, with the agreement of the player, was to increase his contract to make him the highest paid.

The Portuguese club is not financially able to pay the £4.3m in cash, so the financial plan found was to increase his salary and divide it by the total months of his contract.

But again, nothing has changed, not even the willingness of the player to leave and not even the need Sporting have to sell players.

As captain of the team, Fernandes is the most desired star and also the one that could earn the most millions for the club.

There is only one difference between what the player would like and what the club would like. Fernandes does not mind leaving as early as January, when the transfer market reopens, but the Sporting hierarchy want their captain to remain until the end of this season.

His release clause stands at £85m, but there is also an agreement between Fernandes and the club allowing his exit if an offer of €70m (£60m) comes in.

This is also one of the reasons why he remained in Portugal last summer, as the £60m offer never arrived. Tottenham's offer last summer was £60m including bonuses but that was something Sporting were unwilling to accept.

In January, however, if any club arrives with a check of £60m they could snare Fernandes; the will of the footballer will also be a decisive factor here.

Tottenham's new manager Jose Mourinho has long admired the qualities of the Portuguese international and there is, in fact, interest from Mourinho in bringing him to north London.

Fernandes has also never hid that the Premier League is the league that excites him the most and in Tottenham, as he saw last August, he would have a great opportunity to succeed.

However, there are others interested and Jorge Mendes, one of the most important agents in the world, has already informed the player, although he is not his agent, that there is the possibility of going to Real Madrid, but only at the end of the season.

It remains to be seen if the player, without any kind of agreement with Real Madrid, wants to wait for the end of the season or prefers, in January, to move, handing advantage to Tottenham or another interested club.

Once again, the new contract with Sporting will not prevent any kind of transfer.

Nothing has changed, the new contract it was just a way for the club to pay the 'debt' to the player and his agent, Miguel Pinho.

Fernandes, however, will not force to leave in January, but the Lisbon club knows that the player does not rule out that possibility either. And the truth is that with Mourinho at Tottenham the footballer's determination to leave could increase.

Mourinho is a real motivating factor for Fernandes and Real Madrid would have been a much more viable option had he ended up on the Spanish giants' bench, instead of Tottenham.

There are more clubs that want Fernandes, such as Manchester United, but between Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at United and Mourinho at Tottenham, the Portuguese is more inclined towards the London club. But ultimately, the financial conditions presented by the clubs concerned may prove to be decisive at the time of the 25-year-old.

One of the reasons why Sporting are desperately trying to keep Fernandes until the end of the season is due, in part, to Portugal's participation in the 2020 European Championships.

There is such an understanding of the 70 million for his departure, but this is only valid during the present season, in June they could ask for the €100million (£85m) release clause.
 

dtxspurs

Welcome to the Good Life
Dec 28, 2017
11,234
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Meh, I know it hasn’t been long but 3 games in 7 days and Lo Celso’s hardly got a look so far. Don’t see how another #10 fits.
 

Joely

Well-Known Member
Jan 20, 2011
1,853
4,949
Just think we have other priorities at the moment. Some may argue we are going to lose Eriksen so need someone, but I really want GLC given a chance.
Priorities for me are a defensive midfielder, fullbacks and as things stand we lose both Jan and Toby in the summer, so at least one CB. Obviously if they sign extensions, then CB not so much of and issue
 

TEESSIDE1

Married, new job and Spurs on the up!
Jul 3, 2006
15,518
19,529
I hope we sign three defenders and a defensive mid first.

Depends on what happens with Jan and Toby but for me the priority in January needs to be a keeper, DM, and Fernandes if Eriksen leaves.
Gazza took 2 blows today and looked like he may have had to come off. An injury to him and we’re up shit creek without a paddle.

Nubel - if possible, we need to pay a reduced fee and bring him in, in January.
 

ButchCassidy

Well-Known Member
Jul 12, 2012
4,018
16,121
Meh, I know it hasn’t been long but 3 games in 7 days and Lo Celso’s hardly got a look so far. Don’t see how another #10 fits.
Is Lo Celso a true #10? Had the impression he was more comfortable a little deeper but I really haven’t seen much of him.
 

OpenHeartZoo

Well-Known Member
Oct 18, 2004
1,293
1,595
Agree with the majority in here. His type doesn’t seem to be a priority. You’d think he’d be playing where Alli is playing now, and anywhere else on the pitch would be shoehorning him in a bit in most games. Would be a great option to have but there seems to be a long list of other priorities to spend cash on first... for me GK, RB, DM, WF, and possibly a CB and LB depending on who leaves, all above directly replacing Eriksen.
 

ebzrascal

Well-Known Member
Sep 13, 2009
2,639
4,684
Meh, I know it hasn’t been long but 3 games in 7 days and Lo Celso’s hardly got a look so far. Don’t see how another #10 fits.
Lo Celso looks like an 8 to me not a 10 I think we could do with more options for goals especially if Eriksen is going and if Erik cannot stay fit he should probably be moved on also
 

Japhet

Well-Known Member
Aug 30, 2010
19,539
58,604
Depends on what happens with Jan and Toby but for me the priority in January needs to be a keeper, DM, and Fernandes if Eriksen leaves.
Gazza took 2 blows today and looked like he may have had to come off. An injury to him and we’re up shit creek without a paddle.

Nubel - if possible, we need to pay a reduced fee and bring him in, in January.

Nubel's in the same situation as Eriksen. They can both get big signing on fees and salaries on Bosman deals in the summer. I think Nubel will wait til then and see who comes up with the best deal, unfortunately.
 

EQP

EQP
Sep 1, 2013
8,271
31,067
It's pretty clear that our problem isn't scoring or creating goal scoring opportunities. I have faith that Jose and the scouting team will be focusing their efforts on finding a suitable DM to help reduce the amount of goals we do concede.
 

SpursFox

Well-Known Member
May 23, 2018
186
456
I remember in the summer everyone was saying if Eriksen goes we simply must sign someone to replace him on top of Lo Celso or it would not be looked on as a good outcome as we always needed someone in addition to Eriksen to start with - mainly due to Lamela's constant injury issues. The narrative seems to have definitely changed. Perhaps that's in part due to Dele seeming to have a different role now, but I was hearing this before too. I think perhaps Lo Celso might eventually play the Winks role, alternating with Tanguy, and Bruno will be more an option against Dele. I guess it depends on how we are going to line up long term and what will best suit that. Also what Jose's opinion is of both Lo Celso and Winks. I think Bruno is being brushed aside a little too readily by some though, and in my view would be an excellent signing.
 

FibreOpticJesus

Well-Known Member
Aug 14, 2005
3,009
5,368
It's pretty clear that our problem isn't scoring or creating goal scoring opportunities. I have faith that Jose and the scouting team will be focusing their efforts on finding a suitable DM to help reduce the amount of goals we do concede.

We also need a Grealish style player for teams who put 10 men behind the ball.
 

wrd

Well-Known Member
Aug 22, 2014
13,603
58,007
One for the summer for me. Let dele carry on and also let Lo Celso find his feet before trying to add another. Risky if others are in for him which I understand though.
 

BringBack_leGin

Well-Known Member
Jul 28, 2004
27,719
54,930
Son Dele Lucas Sessegnon Lo Celso Sissoko Lamela Eriksen. These are the players we have the Mourinho seems to consider are primarily for the AM slots. The first five are unlikely to be going anywhere anytime soon and are all highly experienced. The latter three may well be coming to the end of their time with us for duffering reasons, but even if they all leave (we know at least one will), there’s not really much room for anything more than a talented youth (say Clarke) joining them. We’ve seen how lack of game time screws a player up.

Arguably Fernandes would be the lore attacking/ ball playing CM, but we have Ndombele who we are abreast trying to integrate, and Winks who like it or not is going to be part of the furniture for a good while to come. Reality is, the only non defence spot we should be looking at is DM, as Dier seems unable to rediscover past form, Wanyama is done and Skipp is untested. By the time January hits, I’d go as far to say that if non of those three is showing themselves to be a top class option, then every penny we have available should be allocated there and not on our already bloated attack. We sort out DM and everything will look better, our defence, our ball retention, even the fluidity of attacks when they know they can rely on someone to mop up if we are turned over.
 

ebzrascal

Well-Known Member
Sep 13, 2009
2,639
4,684
Son Dele Lucas Sessegnon Lo Celso Sissoko Lamela Eriksen. These are the players we have the Mourinho seems to consider are primarily for the AM slots. The first five are unlikely to be going anywhere anytime soon and are all highly experienced. The latter three may well be coming to the end of their time with us for duffering reasons, but even if they all leave (we know at least one will), there’s not really much room for anything more than a talented youth (say Clarke) joining them. We’ve seen how lack of game time screws a player up.

Arguably Fernandes would be the lore attacking/ ball playing CM, but we have Ndombele who we are abreast trying to integrate, and Winks who like it or not is going to be part of the furniture for a good while to come. Reality is, the only non defence spot we should be looking at is DM, as Dier seems unable to rediscover past form, Wanyama is done and Skipp is untested. By the time January hits, I’d go as far to say that if non of those three is showing themselves to be a top class option, then every penny we have available should be allocated there and not on our already bloated attack. We sort out DM and everything will look better, our defence, our ball retention, even the fluidity of attacks when they know they can rely on someone to mop up if we are turned over.
We have room because all our attacking mids have different qualities. Plus Lamela is not reliable and Eriksen wants out. Bruno Fernandes gives another option for goals and is also creative. I also think Jose will make more changes during games than Poch did so would expect players to get many minutes off the bench. Lo Celso I think will play a little deeper. Sessegnon will be a wide player.. when you want to play a more ball retention game then you probably dont play Alli, so another option sould be needed.
 
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