Manchester United and Sporting Lisbon cannot close the deal for Bruno Fernandes because of add-ons, so it seems.
You can just picture Ed Woodward sitting there, across from Sporting president Frederico Varandas, grinning as he dreams about the next sponsorship announcement.
Portuguese outlet Record (via Sport Witness) claim that Sporting demand €60m up front and €10m in bonuses, otherwise there’s no deal.
Man Utd’s initial offer reached that amount in total but it was structured as €50m up front and €20m as potential bonuses. There are rumours suggesting that one of them claimed to be Fernandes winning the Ballon d’Or which makes Sporting refusal a lot easier to comprehend.
READ MORE: Paul Merson urges Man Utd to sign 24 y/o PL star instead of Bruno Fernandes
Apparently United were ready to increase their offer to €60m up front and €5m in bonuses — but it wasn’t made formal. Woodward was possibly busy on FaceTime to Joel Glazer expressing the need for a Malcolm Glazer voodoo doll for sale at the Old Trafford Megastore, before being reminded of the leech’s death in 2014.
Simon Stone from BBC Sport claims Sporting are actually demanding €80m which really suggests both clubs are struggling to settle on a valuation.
Bruno Fernandes still a @ManUtd target. They still hope to do the deal. But not at 80m Euros. Sporting risk them looking elsewhere. https://t.co/twg67wsq2q
— Simon Stone (@sistoney67) January 18, 2020
The longer this drags on the more infuriating it will be to watch United persist with mediocrity on the pitch because potential transfers like this one would undoubtedly go a long way to improve the side.
I don’t know about you, but we’re already sick of the Bruno Fernandes transfer saga.
It started in the summer when it always seemed like newspaper crap but the negotiations definitely intensified this month.
No real developments, though, and you should worry as United need a creative spark in the middle of the park. Juan Mata can’t do it every week and we may as well forget about Jesse Lingard.
There’s room for Fernandes at Old Trafford.
