Manchester United have completed the signing of Portugal international Bruno Fernandes for a fee that could reach £68m.
United had been struggling to agree on a deal with Sporting but a final agreement was found that sees the Premier League side splash out an initial £47m fee, with that rising up to £68m with potential add-ons.
The 25-year-old has signed a five-and-a-half-year deal with the Red Devils and adds some much-needed quality to their midfield while also offering a fresh goal threat.
Fernandes has scored 63 goals from 137 games for Sporting Lisbon, with another 52 assists illustrating his quality as a scorer and provider of goals.
United have come under fire from their own fans for not making any signings in the transfer market, most notably missing out on Erling Haaland, but they have responded with the big-name acquisition that the fans craved.
Fernandes himself said he was delighted to have joined the club he started following when Cristiano Ronaldo was starring for Sir Alex Ferguson's side.
“My love of Manchester United really started when I used to watch Cristiano Ronaldo play and ever since then I have been a big fan of this great club," Fernandes told the Manchester United website.
"For me to now play for Manchester United feels incredible, I have worked hard to get to this moment and I can promise the fans that I will give everything for the badge to help bring us more success and trophies.
"I want to thank Sporting for everything they have done for me. It is surreal to hear the nice words that have been said about me from players that used to play for this team.
"A massive thank you to Ole and everyone at Manchester United for the trust they have shown in me and I can’t wait to start to repay that on the pitch.”
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says the club had been monitoring Fernandes, who has also been linked with a number of top Premier League clubs previously, for some months so was delighted to finally get the deal done.
Bruno's best bits
“We have been tracking Bruno for many months and everyone here has been tremendously impressed with all his attributes and what he will bring to this team," said Solskjaer.
"Most importantly he is a terrific human being with a great personality and his leadership qualities are clear for all to see.
"Bruno’s goals and assists stats speak for themselves, he will be a fantastic addition to our team and he will help us push on in the second part of the season.
"The winter break is coming at a perfect time for us to integrate Bruno into the squad and for him to get to know his team-mates.”
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