Report reveals further Man Utd attempts to land Fernandes after deadlock

Manchester United have suffered another setback in their pursuit of Sporting Lisbon midfielder Bruno Fernandes after further talks over the weekend were unsuccessful, according to reports.

United, who were linked with a move for the 25-year-old last summer, have been chasing a deal for Fernandes for over a week but previous discussions have hit a deadlock.

At first, it was claimed that the clubs were unable to agree on the transfer fee and structure of add-ons in the deal, with United said to be unwilling to match the price Sporting want.

Further reports have suggested that United have offered the likes of Marcos Rojo and Andreas Pereria as sweeteners, but either the players have decided against a move to Portugal or the Red Devils are not happy with the proposals put forward.

According to Portuguese outlet Record, such attempts – as well as new offers over the weekend – have been successful, with Sporting unwilling to budge from their £51.2million (€60m) price tag alongside a further £8.5m (€10m) in bonuses.

United are said to be unwilling to match that fee and, as a result, Sporting have responded with a firm no towards the player leaving.

What’s more, the report claims that Fernandes is set to play in Tuesday night’s clash with Braga.

United are also interested in bringing a striker to the club before the end of the transfer window following the news that Marcus Rashford will be out until around April after suffering a double stress fracture in his back.

The likes of Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez and Paris Saint-Germain’s Edinson Cavani have both been linked.

 

 

Cavani, who has less than six months left on his current deal, has handed in a transfer request.

The Uruguayan could be on Chelsea’s radar, with boss Frank Lampard admitting that he could look to bring experience to the club to support Tammy Abraham up top.

He told a press conference on Monday: “[Cavani’s] a great player; I played against him and I always loved his mentality and attitude, and obviously his goal-scoring record speaks for itself.

“I’m not absolutely aware of what the situation is, so we’ll see. He’s an experienced player, but so are many other players out there.

“I think we are young, and we know about the transitions. The idea of bringing in experience is something I’m certainly not absolutely looking away from.”