Man Utd's Bruno Fernandes was 'angry' Premier League transfer collapsed
Robin Bairner
- 21 Sept 2022 09:04 BST
- 3 min read
Manchester United playmaker Bruno Fernandes has revealed he was left furious that he did not have the opportunity to move to a rival Premier League side before the Old Trafford side came calling.
Bruno moved to Man Utd in January 2020 for €55m and has since seen his estimated value jump to €77m. He was an instant hit with the Red Devils, yet his career could have been so different had Sporting CP accepted a transfer offer from Tottenham a matter of weeks before the Manchester side launched their offensive.
Indeed, he has said that he was wanted by Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino, who had been sacked by the time the January window rolled around and Man Utd finally captured him.
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“Obviously I wanted to go to the Premier League," Bruno told The Athletic. "The manager, Mauricio Pochettino, was the one who wanted me there. It was a good offer but Sporting tried their best to keep me.
“The president Frederico Varandas spoke with me but he spoke with me on the wrong day. It was the day after they decided to refuse the offer from Tottenham and I was really angry. Luckily for me, the manager Marcel Keizer was the right one at the right time.”
Bruno Fernandes at Manchester United
Bruno went on to impress for Sporting, scoring eight goals and creating seven more in the Portuguese top flight, while grabbing five strikes and three assists in the Europa League.
Manchester United were convinced of his qualities by the time the January transfer window opened and the 28-year-old maintained his form following the move to England. Indeed, the Red Devils reached the Europa League semi-final but were unable to overcome Sevilla.
Bruno’s influence at Man Utd was profound but has faded somewhat following the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo, who has taken up the mantle of being the club’s scoring ace. He has just one goal and one assist to his name this season in eight appearances.
