The Red Devils have finally got their man, with the Portugal international midfielder moving to Old Trafford from Sporting on a long-term contract
Manchester United have completed the €55 million (£47m/$60m) signing of Bruno Fernandes from Sporting, with the midfielder penning a five-and-a-half-year contract at Old Trafford.
A long-running transfer saga has finally been brought to a close, with the Red Devils snapping up the Portugal international after pursuing him throughout the winter window .
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had made reinforcements in the engine room a top priority for January.
With Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay sidelined through injury, United have found themselves short in an important area of the field.
Fernandes’ arrival should help to address those shortfalls, with the 25-year-old arriving in English football with a big reputation.
This is not the first spell that the 25-cap Portuguese has spent outside of his homeland, with a four-year spell in Italy between 2013 and 2017 seeing Fernandes turn out for Udinese and Sampdoria.
It is, however, over recent seasons that his stock has risen considerably.
United are buying into his current ability and future potential, with the hope being that value can be found in a big-money transfer.
Fernandes promised to give his all to the club’s cause before thanking Solskjaer at his unveiling, stating: “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.
“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.”
Fernandes will need to hit the ground running, having arrived in Manchester midway through another inconsistent campaign for the Red Devils, and will face added pressure from his price tag.
Solskjaer, though, having made a classy operator his top target, is confident that a shrewd piece of business has been carried out.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
With another option brought into United’s midfield, attention can now turn to the pursuit of further firepower.
Marcus Rashford remains on the treatment table, with Solskjaer conceding after a 1-0 derby win over Manchester City that was not enough to book a place in the Carabao Cup final that he wants to bolster his attacking ranks .
He said: “We need more goalscorers, more goals, someone who wants to break their nose or toe to score.
“It doesn’t always have to be nice goals. I need to challenge them more.”
It remains to be seen whether a deal can be done before the 11pm deadline on Friday.
United will, however, have Fernandes at their disposal when they return to action on Saturday with a Premier League home date against Wolves.
