BRUNO FERNANDES has opened up on how he “convinced” he was destined to join Tottenham.
Spurs take on Fernandes‘ Manchester United in the Europa League final in Bilbao this evening.
But in another reality, the 30-year-old could have been lining up for the North London club.
Six months before a January transfer window deal took Fernandes to Old Trafford from Sporting Lisbon for £47million, Spurs were deep in discussions to sign the midfielder.
There had been five meetings between the two parties with Fernandes’ camp left impressed by their structure and Sporting all set to accept the bid.
Of the talks, a source involved in the talks told the BBC: “They were absolutely next level when it comes to detail.
Even the rooms at the training ground – each one was decorated just like the players’ bedrooms at home, the ones they share with their partners.
“The bed was exactly the same. Even the flowers in the garden gave off a scent that’s meant to be beneficial – it was mind-blowing.”
However, the deal fell through when the Sporting board decided to hold out for an offer twice the size which ultimately never arrived, before selling Raphinha to Rennes instead.
Indeed, Fernandes had been so convinced he would be leaving that when club president Frederico Varandas tried to explain the situation he told him to go away.
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In an interview in January 2020 before he joined Man Utd, Fernandes said: “It was the team that wanted me the most and was the only one I agreed to talk with, because there were other clubs that didn’t interest me or whose project was not up to my expectations.
“Tottenham fit into everything I wish I had at that moment. It is an appealing championship. Knowing that Tottenham would be willing to pay for me and make every possible effort to take me, leaves a player eager to take that step.”
But five years later, the “Portuguese magnifico” has become the heartbeat of the Red Devils.
In the last five years, no outfield player has made more appearances (288) or played more minutes (24,747) across Europe‘s top five leagues than Fernandes.
The all-action club captain has almost single-handedly kept the team afloat this season with 19 goals and 19 assists in all competitions.
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That includes 12 goal contributions in the Europa League, featuring a hat-trick in the last-16 against Real Sociedad, a penalty in the 5-4 win at Old Trafford over Lyon and a brace in Spain against Athletic Bilbao.
Earlier this month, he had said: “The manager and physio say that I need to relax and rest, but I say no. When I die, I will have a lot of time to lay down and rest.”
Fernandes is one of five players still at Man Utd who was in the matchday squad when the club fell to defeat on penalties against Villarreal in the final in 2021.
He, Luke Shaw and Victor Lindelof all started the game under then boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, while Amad Diallo and Harry Maguire were unused subs with the latter missing the clash through injury.
Man Utd have lost to Spurs three times this season – twice in the Prem and once in the League Cup – but have the chance to salvage the club’s worst-ever Premier League finish with a European trophy and a spot in next season’s Champions League.
Man Utd vs Spurs – Europa League final: Kick-off time, TV channel and live stream info for Bilbao clash
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