Manchester United transfer blow in race to sign ‘Next Bruno Fernandes’

The impact that Bruno Fernandes has had on Manchester United since joining in January of 2020 is not unknown. He has slotted into a side that was struggling to finish in the top four and turned them into title contenders. And no matter what your views are of him as a player, you cannot denied that he is as effective as they come.

Of course, this is not the first time that the Red Devils have made a successful deal with Sporting Lisbon. You might have heard of a player named as Cristiano Ronaldo. Nani and Marcos Rojo were also signed from the Portuguese side.

And it looks like they are trying to repeat the trick, this time going after a player who has been described as the ‘Next Bruno Fernandes’.

Pedro Goncalves has taken taken Portuguese football by storm this year. The 22-year-old has scored 14 goals and provided 2 assists from right-wing in 15 Liga NOS appearances as Sporting Lisbon sit 5 points clear at the top of the table.

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Manchester United could have a tough time signing Goncalves

Goncalves has seamlessly filled the void left behind by the departure of Fernandes, which is clearly something that is not easy to do. He is clearly a very different player, with his forte being finding the back of the net and he does not possess the creativity of the Manchester United superstar. But just like Bruno, his impact cannot be denied.

It won’t be easy for Manchester United to sign him though. They had reportedly made a formal enquiry for him in January which was turned down. And now, it looks like the Portuguese side are keen to hold on to the 22-year-old for next season as well, as reported by Sport Witness.

In that case, the Red Devils might have to go out and pay his €60 million release clause if they still want to sign him. But that will be a hefty sum to pay for a young player, especially in the current market.