Manchester United’s $90M Midfielder Reveals Why Failed Spurs Transfer In 2019 Hurt Him

Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes has revealed he was extremely disappointed after his move to Tottenham was not successful in the summer of 2019.

Ahead of the 2019-20 season, then-Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino pushed for the deal, but the Premier League side failed to reach an agreement with the player’s former club Sporting Lisbon. Fernandes, who scored 64 goals in 137 competitive appearances for Sporting, eventually joined Manchester United in the 2020 January transfer window for a fee of $90 million and is contracted with the Red Devils until 2025.

Speaking on the Official Manchester United Podcast, Fernandes recollected his failed transfer to Tottenham because the North London club refused to match Sporting’s asking price for the Portuguese midfielder.

“I was close to Tottenham. In the summer I was closer to Tottenham than Manchester. Sporting thought at that moment the proposal was not good enough, they thought they deserved more for a player like me. They wanted more money. I was not mad, I was sad. I thought the dream of coming to the Premier League was not happening. At the time, the dream to come to the Premier League, to a club like Tottenham was an amazing proposal,” the attacking midfielder told the Official Manchester United Podcast.

In the same interview, Fernandes went on to say that everything happens for a reason before adding that a move to Old Trafford and playing in the Premier League was like a dream come true.

“But everything has a purpose. Maybe at that time, I didn’t go to Tottenham because something special was coming. Waiting worked better because I got to put two dreams together – to play in the Premier League and for Manchester United,” added Fernandes.

In his debut season with Ole Gunnar Solakjer’s side, Fernandes scored 12 goals in as many as 22 appearances. In the 2020-21 campaign, Fernandes has netted six goals so far in 11 matches across all competitions. Man Utd are currently placed 14th in the league table.