AliousBruno Fernandes has revealed that he came close to joining Tottenham Hotspur before his eventual move to Manchester United, admitting he was disappointed when the North London club failed to strike a deal with Sporting Lisbon at the time.
Fernandes, now considered a symbol of Manchester United with 159 appearances and the club captaincy, nearly had a different path in the Premier League. The 29-year-old attacking midfielder was a target for Spurs in the summer of 2019, which turned out to be Mauricio Pochettino’s final transfer window at the club.
However, despite Tottenham’s interest, they were unable to finalize a move for the Portugal international that summer. It was in the subsequent January transfer window when Manchester United paid £67.6m to secure Fernandes’ services from Sporting Lisbon (BBC Sport).
Reflecting on the failed Tottenham transfer, Fernandes wrote in The Players’ Tribune: “The only thing that was concrete was Tottenham. It feels weird to me now, but at the time, I was excited. One of my life goals was to play in the Premier League.”
He added, “I tried to block out all the noise, but in the age we are living in, with social media and phones and text, of course, my friends let me know about the rumors. As a kid from Portugal, you can’t help but dream a bit about playing at the big grounds in England. In the end, the clubs couldn’t reach an agreement, and the deal fell apart.”
Fernandes expressed mixed emotions about the failed move, saying, “It was a complicated emotion, but I was really happy at Sporting. I felt the love of the fans, and it was a fantastic place for me. But it was not my destiny.”
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