Manchester United fans are the happiest people on earth now as the club have confirmed that an agreement has been reached with Sporting Lisbon to sign Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes. The deal is subject to a medical and the agreement of personal terms.
United and Sporting have been at loggerheads over the deal but made a breakthrough in negotiations on Tuesday with just three days of the January transfer window remaining. Now, United have agreed a deal worth up to £68m with the Portuguese club, with the player set to put pen to paper on a five-year contract at Old Trafford. United will pay an initial fee of €55m (£46.56m) plus add-ons.
United will pay the Portuguese club a further €10m (£8.46m) provided the midfielder win individual awards and an additional €15m (£12.7m) if Fernandes wins the Ballon d’Or at Old Trafford.
“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them".
Obrigado Capitão. Para sempre Leão 🦁 pic.twitter.com/L7JqXs6RbT
— Sporting CP (@SportingCP) January 29, 2020
Fernandes was at the head office of Sporting on Wednesday afternoon to terminate his contract with the Portuguese club. The midfielder would need to be registered as a Manchester United player by midday on Friday to be eligible for selection for their game against Wolves on Saturday.
The midfielder has also sent his goodbyes through a video message to Sporting fans before driving to Tires Airport to fly in a private jet to Manchester for his medical. Portuguese television channels caught up with him arriving at the airport and on the tarmac prior to boarding the plane.
Manchester United is delighted to announce it has reached agreement with Sporting Clube de Portugal for the transfer of Bruno Fernandes.
The deal is subject to a medical and the agreement of personal terms.
A further announcement will be made in due course. pic.twitter.com/6bDVHszxL1
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 29, 2020
A short statement on the club’s official website said: “Manchester United is delighted to announce it has reached agreement with Sporting Clube de Portugal for the transfer of Bruno Fernandes.
“The deal is subject to a medical and the agreement of personal terms. A further announcement will be made in due course.”
“Now we have reached an agreement,’ United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said on Wednesday via the MUFC app.
“Hopefully we can get the boy’s contract over the line and the medical done. Then hopefully we can announce it.”
United striker Marcus Rashford replied to the club’s announcement statement on Twitter by saying: “Welcome Bruno.”
Fernandes began his professional career at Novara in Italy before spells at Udinese and Sampdoria. The midfielder then joined Sporting in 2017 and is now likely to call time on his three-year spell at Sporting in favour of a move to United.
The 25-year-old had told Sporting that he wants to move to United this month. The midfielder, who is regarded as one of the best talents in the Portuguese league, has gone on to make a total of 81 league appearances and scoring 39 goals for Sporting.
He has scored 15 goals and provided 14 assists in 27 appearances for Sporting this season across all competitions.
