Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is on the hunt for a new midfielder this summer, as Ander Herrera is set to leave the club when his contract at Old Trafford expires.
The perfect Herrera replacement could be Bruno Fernandes, who currently plies his trade for Sporting CP, in Portugal’s first division - but he is also comfortable further forward and can play as a number 10.
That versatility, as well as natural talent, makes him worthy of consideration for United, who have dealt with Sporting previously - with former star Cristiano Ronaldo rising through the Lisbon club’s youth ranks, before catching Sir Alex Ferguson’s eye and moving to Old Trafford in 2003.
Fernandes, primarily an attacking midfielder, has scored 31 goals in 50 games for Sporting this season, whilst also assisting 14 times and the Portuguese is still only 24.
His exploits in Portugal’s first division have unsurprisingly attracted a range of potential suitors but Manchester City insist they will not be signing him.
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And while City have witnessed success this season, the campaign has been a forgettable one for United. However, the appointment of Solskjaer offers hope and the Norwegian has promised to bring United back to where they belong, the top of the Premier League table.
His first transfer window as permanent manager will need to signal United’s intent to their Premier League rivals and the signing of Fernandes would symbol that, as Solskjaer’s rebuild of United commences.
Despite having a £86m buy out clause, it is believed the midfielder would be available for a fee of £50m and the fee for Fernandes could prove to be value for money in more than a few ways.
While Fernandes is comfortable in a holding role, similar to that of which Herrera played, he can also thrive going forward.
His goal haul this season is remarkable for a midfielder, and Fernandes could offer United much needed stability in the centre of the pitch, while also offering an invaluable threat to goal.
Fernandes was named as the 2017/18 Primeira Liga player of the year, and the signing of the midfield maestro could ultimately kill two birds with one stone, offering midfield balance, combined with a goal-scoring touch.
Solskjaer knows there is work to be done to bring the glory days back to Old Trafford and the signing of Fernandes certainly wouldn’t be a bad place to start.
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