Sporting Lisbon ‘rubbing their hands together over unexpected ‘£4.5m bonus payment from Bruno Fernandes transfer’ should Manchester United qualify for next season’s Champions League
- Manchester United could owe Sporting Lisbon £9m over the coming weeks
- United may have to pay out a number of bonuses in the Bruno Fernandes deal
- They will owe £4.5m once Fernandes makes two more appearances for the club
- Sporting will also claim £4.5m if United qualify for the Champions League
Sporting Lisbon are reportedly waiting to collect a further payment of £9million from Manchester United as part of the deal that took Bruno Fernandes to Old Trafford in January.
The Portuguese midfielder made a sensational £68m move earlier this year and has slotted into United’s midfield effortlessly, becoming a key part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s plans.
It is believed Sporting let him go for an initial £47m, which could rise to £68m depending on whether a series of bonuses are met.
Manchester United could pay Sporting Lisbon a chunk of money in the Bruno Fernandes deal
According to Portuguese newspaper A Bola, one of those is for £4.5m to be paid out once Fernandes has made 20 appearances for the Red Devils.
He is currently on 18 but United have at least three more games to be played this season and potentially even more depending on how far they progress in the Europa League.
It is also claimed United will owe Sporting Lisbon another £4.5m if they qualify for the Champions League.
Solskjaer’s side looked dead and buried in the race for the top four in January but, now rejuvenated, they are level on points with fourth-placed Leicester with a game in hand as the Premier League season nears its conclusion.
A Bola claims Sporting are ‘rubbing their hands together’ at the prospect of raking in £9m before the end of the season.
Fernandes has rejuvenated United since arriving in the January transfer window for £68m
The 25-year-old has scored nine goals and provided eight assists in 18 appearances so far
Back in May, reports claimed Sporting were struggling financially and had already secured new funding to ensure they received the initial £47m after Portuguese banks due to provide the cash this summer pulled out.
United agreed a deal to pay for Fernandes in instalments over five years, but Sporting wanted access to most of the money up front so secured gap funding from banks, a common practice at the top of the transfer market.
Due to the worsening economic situation, however, the interest rate Sporting are paying on the loan doubled to five per cent.
United fans have been immediately impressed with Fernandes. The 25-year-old has scored nine goals and provided eight assists in 18 appearances so far.
