Glazers call off Man Utd’s Bruno Fernandes deal – report

Ian Watson

Manchester United have reportedly pulled out of negotiations with Sporting Lisbon over a deal to sign Bruno Fernandes.

The Portugal midfielder has been the subject of talks between the clubs over recent weeks, and it was expected Fernandes would get the move he has wanted.

But talks reached an impasse last Friday and it seems little progress has been made since then, despite United’s performances demonstrating the need for quality reinforcements.

United had offered £42.5million with another £8.5million possibly due in add-ons but Sporting have been looking for a larger chunk of any fee to be paid up front.

Indeed, The Sun is reporting that United have backed off in the face of Sporting’s demands.

Apparently, ‘United co-chairman Joel Glazer, who signs off transfers, simply believes the structure of the deal is not right and the player is not worth what is being asked’.

The latest development won’t sit well with supporters who protested against the Glazer family and vice-chairman Ed Woodward during Wednesday night’s dismal 2-0 defeat to Burnley.

Reports in Portugal suggested such a ‘disaster’ could speed up the deal, but it seems United won’t pay over the odds despite the obvious need for new players.