Man Utd identify Fernandes replacement if skipper makes £100m Saudi transfer
Al-Hilal are hoping to tempt Bruno Fernandes to make the move to Saudi Arabia and Manchester United are interested in Pedro Goncalves as a potential replacement for their captain
Manchester United are lining up Sporting Lisbon's attacking midfielder Pedro Gonclaves as a replacement for £100million Saudi target Bruno Fernandes. The Reds were tracking the 26-year-old Portuguese international before Al-Hilal sent shockwaves around Old Trafford by indicating they are prepared to pay a fortune for Fernandes.
But if Fernandes decides to accept a three-year contract worth a staggering £180million then that would give United the finances to meet Sporting's £70million valuation of Gonclaves.
His arrival would help ease the anger that Ruben Amorim would feel about losing his captain. Fernandes scored 19 goals and provided 20 assists in a struggling team this season, but at 30 he is four years older than Goncalves.
Goncalves plays in a more advanced role than Fernandes after Amorim transformed him into a lethal attacking midfielder who can also play out wide when they were together at Sporting.
The United boss spotted his potential for goals at a pre-season training camp in 2020 - and was rewarded with 23 goals and for assists in 32 games as Sporting won the Portuguese title for the first time in 19 years.
Goncalves has recently returned from injury after rupturing a thigh muscle in Amorim's final game as Sporting coach in November. He had been attracting the attention of Aston Villa and Bayer Leverkusen before being sidelined.
An added complication for any deal with Sporting for Goncalves is the speculation over the Portuguese club's Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres.
Napoli are ready to battle Arsenal for the £67million-rated goal machine, while Amorim also admires the 26-year-old former Brighton, Swansea and Coventry forward.
Sporting would be reluctant to cash in on two of the players who have just helped them retain the title in the same summer.
Amorim has made it clear he does not want to lose his skipper, but the prospect of using the cash to help finance a rebuild has prompted his Old Trafford bosses to leave the decision up to Fernandes. Al-Hilal have set a Friday deadline for Fernandes to give them an answer.
Sporting will cash in again if Fernandes decides to go to the Saudi Pro League after negotiating a 10 percent cut of any profit United make on the 30-year-old when he left Lisbon for Manchester in a deal initially worth £47million plus add-ons.
That means the Portuguese club would bank over £6million if United seal a deal with Al-Hilal.
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