There have not been many more influential players in the Premier League in recent seasons than Bruno Fernandes.
Manchester United signed the midfielder in January 2020 and he became an instant success, scoring eight goals in 14 Premier League games this season.
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But in London, one club watched with envious eyes as Fernandes became a fan favourite.
This is because Tottenham were close to signing the Portuguese international from Sporting in the previous transfer window – but the transfer fell through.
Fernandes was angry about the failed transfer, but in the end he achieved his dream of moving to one of the most glamorous clubs in Europe.
He told The Athletic in 2022: “Of course I wanted to go to the Premier League.
“The manager Mauricio Pochettino was the one who wanted me there. It was a good offer, but Sporting did their best to keep me.”
“The President (Frederico Varandas) spoke to me, but he spoke to me on the wrong day.
“It was the day after they decided to reject Tottenham’s offer and I was really angry.
“Fortunately, the manager (Marcel Keizer) was the right one at the right time.
“At the beginning of January my agent said: ‘You don’t have to worry because when I suggest a club to you it will always be your dream club.’ He knew that the dream club was Man United.”
And it was a great move: he became an instant hero at United and one of the first names on the team sheet.
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Manager Erik ten Hag named the 28-year-old as the club’s new captain and at the same time took the captain’s armband away from Harry Maguire.
The midfielder takes free kicks, corners and penalties, has a penchant for scoring fantastic goals and has incredible vision.
His goals and assists have helped the club finish in the top four in three of his five seasons at Old Trafford, but he has also been criticized, particularly in light of United’s poor finishing position last season.
They finished eighth with a negative goal difference, their worst finish since 1990 and the first time since then that they conceded more goals than they scored. In addition, they finished bottom of their Champions League group but won the FA Cup.
Fernandes, who turns 30 in September, is also expected to extend his current contract, which expires in 2026, for another year and is expected to be generously rewarded for doing so.
Any new contract he signs will likely put him on a par with Marcus Rashford, United’s highest-paid player, on around £350,000-a-week.
This is a sharp turnaround as some fans feared his dream transfer would end prematurely. In May 2024, he said of his future: “I just want my expectations to be in line with the club’s expectations,” he said before the FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“If you talk to any fan, they will tell you the same thing. We want to play in the league. We want to play Champions League football. We want to be in the cup final.”
“That’s the standard. That’s what I want. That’s what you all deserve.”
Tottenham, on the other hand, have obviously been lacking a midfielder with such attacking power during this period.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Oliver Skipp and Rodrigo Bentancur have their strengths, but it could be argued that they cannot match what Fernandes can do.
And several other midfielders have been snubbed in the meantime, including Yves Bissouma, Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso.
However, Ange Postecoglou is hoping for a turnaround in north London and will pray that James Maddison stays fit.
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