This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
Jose Mourinho has emphatically ruled out the prospect of Tottenham Hotspur signing Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon, per Sky Sports News.
What’s the word?
Spurs were heavily linked with a move for the Portugal international in the summer transfer window, even tabling a bid for the attacking midfielder.
Sporting’s president revealed that the offer was too low, however, and included clauses such as Spurs winning the Premier League.
Fernandes, who has 19 caps for his country, recently signed a new contract at the Portuguese club and Mourinho has now said that the club are unlikely to be able to afford the 25-year-old.
He said: “I would definitely say no because Bruno is a player of a level and value that is not for us.
“We are not a club that is going to make big transfers in the market, nor is it going towards players who are already developed or at a certain level of expectation, also economically.
“We are a different club at this level.”
Chance has gone
Spurs had the opportunity to sign Fernandes in the summer.
The Sunday Times reported in the summer that they had been asked to up a bid of £46m plus over £9m in bonuses to £55m plus add-ons.
It would have been an increase of £9m but, obviously, the deal slipped through their fingers and they ended up bringing Giovani Lo Celso in on loan from Real Betis instead.
Now that Fernandes has penned fresh terms in Portugal and Spurs have changed manager, a deal always seemed unlikely.
And Mourinho’s words merely confirm that; while adding to the feeling that Tottenham missed a major opportunity in the last transfer window.
Thus far this season, after all, Fernandes has 11 goals and nine assists to his name after 19 games.
Meanwhile, Spurs fans have reacted to a new update on Christian Eriksen’s future.
