Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was coy when asked about reports linking Bruno Fernandes with a transfer to Manchester United after the Reds' win over Norwich.
Speculation regarding Fernandes' future intensified on Friday with several Portuguese media outlets reporting that officials from his club Sporting Lisbon had travelled to England for transfer talks.
United were heavily linked with the 25-year-old Portugal international last summer but did not submit a bid for him and reports linking United with Fernandes died down following the summer transfer window's closure.
United sources are guarded about the renewed speculation and noted the 'noise is being driven out of Portugal'. Sources suspect an auction is being whipped up for Fernandes after he signed a new Sporting contract in November until 2023. It has been suggested his deal includes a release clause.
Asked directly about the prospect of United signing Fernandes this month, Solskjaer told beIN Sports: "I can’t talk about individuals that play for other clubs, but I’ve got to say I do have the backing.
“We do have the backing to do something if the right thing comes up in this window.
“The owners and Ed, they know what we’re building towards.”
Sporting did their utmost to offload Fernandes in the summer and there was interest from Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur. United's 'interest' did not extend beyond mere admiration for the Portuguese.
The super-agent Jorge Mendes is believed to have touched base with Fernandes last August with the promise of a transfer this year.
