Jorge Mendes says there are no guarantees that Bruno Fernandes will join Manchester United this month and warned that the Portuguese club have been in contact with other teams – either for this January or else at the end of the campaign.
It was previously expected that the Red devils would tie up the signing of the player before the closing of the current window, but the teams remain a long way apart in terms of the valuation of the midfielder.
When asked if he expected a deal to be completed for Bruno Fernandes, the super-agent said at the Association of Football Agents (AFA) event in the Hive London: “I don’t know. If he doesn’t leave now, he will leave for sure in the summer because Sporting have already spoken with other clubs.
“Something will happen but I am not sure if now or at the end of the season.”
Mendes is acting as an intermediary between Sporting and United regarding Fernandes but his words have cast doubt over the club’s ability to get the deal wrapped up fast.
Sporting had been confident that a deal would eventually be agreed, even though Manchester United attempting to change the terms of the transfer.
United are understood to have sought a deal around £60 million with around a quarter of that fee being made up of bonuses – in the event of Fernandes winning the Ballon d’Or and the Red devils the Premier League.
Sporting were sceptical that those add-ons would ever be triggered and are believed to have raised the overall fee to around £68m in response.
Nonetheless, Sporting remain in significant financial crisis and club directors expect Bruno Fernandes to leave to cover losses.
With less than two weeks left of the January window, all eyes are on Ed Woodward to get a deal wrapped up for Fernandes, with regulars Pogba and McTominay both still sidelined.
