Tottenham have confirmed the signing of Gedson Fernandes on an 18-month loan deal.
The midfielder joins the club from Benfica initially on loan, but there is an option to make the move permanent in 2021.
Fernandes becomes Jose Mourinho's first signing as Tottenham Hotspur head coach, with Spurs fans hoping he is the first of many in this January transfer window.
Fernandes, a talented central midfielder with impressive defensive and offensive attributes, is considered to be one of the most exciting midfield talents in Europe and will give Tottenham another midfield option ahead of the second-half of the campaign.
What kind of impact could Fernandes have at Spurs for the rest of the season?
To find out we booted up the popular football management simulation game Football Manager 2020 to have a bit of fun and try to predict the future.
Gedson Fernandes to Tottenham
To set up this simulation, we booted up the Football Manager 2020 editor and arranged for Gedson Fernandes' to join Spurs on January 1st on a loan deal until the end of the season.
We also added in Harry Kane's recent injury, sidelining him till April 2020 in the game, to make the simulation more realistic.
We then simulated the entire 2019/20 season, to see what kind of impact the Benfica midfielder would have.
The above image shows what his profile looks like on Football Manager 2020 but what kind of impact did Fernandes have at Tottenham?
The young midfielder had to bide his time under Jose Mourinho, with the Spurs manager preferring to start with more experienced midfielders.
Fernandes made 22 appearances for Spurs from January until the end of the season, but only seven of these were starts, with 15 appearances coming from the bench.
However, he still managed to bag four goals and provide one assist, which isn't too bad considering his bit-part role.
Due to the lack of playing time, Fernandes' passing completion, tackling success, average match rating and other metrics were average at best, but he did show his dribbling skills when he did manage to get on the pitch.
In fact, only Lucas Moura, Erik Lamela, Dele Alli and Heung-min Son averaged more dribbles per 90.
In terms of performances, Fernandes had to wait for his chance.
From January until April, Fernandes wasn't really trusted by Mourinho, but after sustaining some injuries, the youngster was thrown in and began to show his class in the final few weeks of the season.
First, he starred in a 2-1 win over Newcastle in April, starting as a right forward and scoring the opening goal.
He also started as a right winger in Spurs' 2-1 away win at Sheffield United, as he began to earn the trust of Mourinho.
Despite starting on the bench, Fernandes came on and scored against Manchester City in one of the final games of the season, sealing a magnificent result for Mourinho's side.
Fernandes played as a central midfielder for the majority of his appearances for Spurs, but actually performed best when appearing as a right winger.
Mourinho even tried him out at right-back!
So, how did Spurs' 2019/20 season go with Fernandes in the team?
Spurs 2019/20 season summary with Fernandes
Premier League: Fourth place
FA Cup: Semi-Final
Carabao Cup: Third Round
Champions League: Round of 16
With Fernandes joining in January, Spurs sealed a fourth place Premier League finish ahead of Manchester United and arch rivals Arsenal, a great season for Jose Mourinho.
But, Fernandes wasn't a regular in the side and would only make an impact in the final weeks of the season, with Mourinho preferring older players in central midfield areas.
Does this foreshadow what could happen for Fernandes this season?
What do you make of this Fernandes simulation?
Would you take Fernandes at Spurs in January?
Tell us in the comments below.
