Real Madrid and Barcelona ‘ready to do battle to sign Manchester United superstar Bruno Fernandes’ just EIGHT MONTHS into his Old Trafford spell… with Portuguese midfielder ‘irked at being subbed against Tottenham’
- Bruno Fernandes is reportedly attracting fierce interest from two LaLiga giants
- Real Madrid and Barcelona have been linked with a move for the star playmaker
- The Manchester United man has been forced to wave away recent speculation
- Fernandes was unhappy at being subbed off in United’s heavy defeat by Spurs
Real Madrid and Barcelona are set to do battle to sign Manchester United playmaker Bruno Fernandes, according to a sensational new report.
Both LaLiga clubs are said to be keeping a close eye on Fernandes’ progression at Old Trafford just eight months after his £68million move from Sporting Lisbon.
The Sun claim that Fernandes was left irked after being hauled off in the heavy defeat at the hands of Tottenham – and the Portugal international may already find himself taking up a new challenge with his current side gripped in turmoil.
Real Madrid and Barcelona are reportedly set to do battle to sign playmaker Bruno Fernandes
Fernandes has been a key figure for United but hasn’t been able to get them firing this season
Fernandes joined the Premier League giants in January and proved to be a crucial influence behind United clinching a Champions League place on the final day of last season.
He was also a regular performer in the team’s progression to the Europa League semi-finals.
The 26-year-old has netted 14 goals in total across all competitions since the big-money switch and is undoubtedly one of the more vocal players in the club’s dressing room.
The Manchester United star was claimed to have been furious during the defeat by Tottenham
Recent reports suggested that his no-holds-barred attitude has led to him becoming disillusioned with life under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – although both he and his manager have angrily swatted the speculation away.
With United trailing Spurs 4-1 at the interval before the international break, it was claimed that Fernandes had exploded into a venomous rant at his team-mates and the under-fire Solskjaer.
The reported verbal volley is even said to have centred around the coach’s choice of tactics.
Fernandes refuted the wild talk in his homeland, however, and insisted it was simply an attempt to drive a wedge between United’s players.
Fernandes angrily played down talk he had criticised Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s choice of tactics
‘There’s been a lot of speculation about that,’ Fernandes told Sport TV after Portugal’s downed Sweden in the Nations League on Wednesday.
‘First it was a discussion with team-mates, as it did not stick, it was a discussion with only one team-mate [Victor Lindelof], as it did not stick now, it is the discussion with Solskjaer.
‘I believe it is a way to destabilise the group. What was said is in no way true.
‘I was replaced at half-time, it is true, by technical option. The coach told me that the game was almost over and that we would have a lot of games ahead of us. Got it. I was not satisfied but said nothing that could harm the group.’
The humiliating reverse forced United to head into the two-week wait in dreadful form.
It’s difficult to see how either Barcelona or Real Madrid could afford the player at this moment, the Covid-19 pandemic having had a devastating impact on finances.
Solskjaer has come under mounting pressure following United’s horror start to the campaign
Barcelona announced earlier this month that they had made an after-tax loss of £88m due to the pandemic. They highlighted the impact of playing behind closed doors as well as the total cancellation of the basketball Euroleague for loss of revenue.
Meanwhile, Madrid have asked their players to take a 10 per cent pay cut and so it is unlikely they would be able or willing to spend big in near future.
However, their interest in Fernandes could be a long-term play, with both clubs having a history of using the Spanish press to soften up targets.
Fernandes cost £68m from Sporting Lisbon, and so good has his form been since joining that his value could well now be around the £100m mark, another prohibitive factor for Real and Barca.
Solskjaer faces an uphill struggle to reverse his team’s fortunes – with even their sole league win of the season coming thanks to the controversial 11th-hour penalty at Brighton.
The defeats against Crystal Palace and Spurs have piled on the pressure ahead of Saturday’s trip to Newcastle.
