Tottenham Hotspur were linked with a number of attacking midfield targets in the summer transfer window, including Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon.
Even the Sporting club president admitted later in the year that Spurs had come in with a bid, but the structure was not attractive to the Portuguese club (Standard).
The bid apparently totalled €65m, but €20m of that came in the form of add-ons in Spurs won the Champions League or Premier League.
Spurs eventually turned to Real Betis for their attacking reinforcements, signing Giovani Lo Celso on loan until the end of the season with an option to buy.
Months on after the Fernandes pursuit, the player himself has now spoken out on why Tottenham was the only team he agreed to talk to in the summer.
He said (Record): “In the summer I thought I could go out. I believed it was a good time to leave due to many factors. I made the best time of my career to date. After the UEFA Nations League there were already many contacts, especially with Tottenham. 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. Regardless, I always kept my word that it was up to Sporting to decide whether or not to leave. Nothing changed my desire to be here and to want to stay here.”
Any Spurs fans still hoping for a move for the 25-year-old may have been disheartened by Mourinho’s recent comments stating that Fernandes is beyond Tottenham’s price range (Daily Mail).
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