Manchester United should target this Sporting star.
At Old Trafford, the fans yearn for even his scent. His absence has been so long, Manchester United have forgotten what it was like. For decades, the number seven at United was sacred and only handed to the club’s very best players. It was an honour to don the shirt and to represent a long-standing legacy.
But as Cristiano Ronaldo, the last true great heir of the number seven shirt, departed Old Trafford for pastures new, his successors have failed to rekindle the influence or the quality deemed worthy of the sacred number.
Plenty of high pedigree stars have come and tried, from Alexis Sanchez to Angel Di Maria. They were some of the best candidates on paper but none of them could show even a vestige of their quality at Old Trafford.
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The decade long barren run has made the fans despondent. United supporters have all but conceded the fact that they will never have a player of Cristiano Ronaldo’s ilk.
There was a brief fleeting moment when United were linked with Jadon Sancho that sparked some hope. The Borussia Dortmund star has a semblance of similar ability and playing style to Ronaldo. He seemed like a worthy inheritor of the number seven shirt, however, amidst the current financial climate, the hefty fee Sancho’s club are demanding for his services seems unfeasible.
Now the Red Devils must look elsewhere. Solskjaer will still be desperate to seek out a star winger.
And perhaps the Norwegian should follow the same formula as his former mentor.
When David Beckham departed the club, Ferguson decided to sign a young star from Sporting Lisbon in his place. Cristiano Ronaldo was a relatively unknown name in European football, yet Ferguson placed his faith in the Portuguese star.
Now almost two decades since the emergence of Ronaldo, there is a new star at Sporting.
Joelson Fernandes became the youngest player to play for Sporting’s first team this season thus breaking Ronaldo’s record. At just 17 years of age the winger has attracted a plethora of interest and has shown glimpses of his quality in Sporting’s first team.
Joelson Fernandes possess all the raw traits Solskjaer needs at the moment and he is of a similar mould to Jadon Sancho. Joelson Fernandes can dribble at ease with a low centre of gravity, he has pace to burn and the ability to find the back of the net.
Yes Joelson Fernandes is still an extremely raw talent, but so was Ronaldo. He’d be available for a cheaper fee than Jadon Sancho and at United he could hone his skills to become a true star.
Transfers from Sporting have always paid dividends for the club, it is time to make another one.
Do you think Joelson Fernandes could become as good as Cristiano Ronaldo?