Manchester United and Tottenham dealt January transfer blow as Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes signs new four-year deal at Sporting Lisbon with £85m release clause
- Midfielder Bruno Fernandes has committed his future to Sporting Lisbon
- He was the target of strong interest during the summer transfer window
- His new deal has seen his release clause jump up from £65million to £85m
Manchester United and Tottenham have been dealt a blow ahead of the January transfer window as Bruno Fernandes committed his future to Sporting Lisbon.
The 25-year-old was the target of strong interest from the Premier League clubs in the summer but remained in Portugal, where he has been in fine form.
And on Tuesday he signed a new four-year deal to remain in the Portuguese capital, which sees his release clause jump up from £65million to a reported £85m.
Bruno Fernandes (right) has committed his future to Sporting Lisbon by signing a new contract
Fernandes has been the target of interest from both Manchester United and Tottenham
The midfielder has scored nine times already in this campaign after finding the net on 31 occasions last season.
And he believes the new deal is a sign of his progress in recent years.
‘It’s a proud moment for me and a recognition of my work, it’s a sign that I’m doing things well’, he told the club website.
‘I have been trying my best to do what is best for the club.
Fernandes has been in red-hot form with nine goals for club and country so far this season
‘It is for what I did on the pitch, but also showed that I liked Sporting and took pride in representing the club.
‘For me it is, and always will be, a privilege to be here and be able to wear the Sporting jersey. You can expect more and better.
‘I promise the same delivery and dedication so we can have more moments of glory as we had last season.’
On Tuesday it was reported that Fernandes and Benfica’s Ruben Dias had been identified as Mourinho’s potential first signings.
