‘Not my destiny’ – Premier League star sheds light on his failed Tottenham move

Bruno Fernandes has admitted that he came close to joining Tottenham Hotspur prior to his switch to Manchester United and confessed that he was disappointed when the North London club were unable to strike a deal with Sporting Lisbon at the time.

Fernandes is now seen by many as Mr. Man Utd, with the attacking midfielder having made 159 appearances for the club and having been appointed club captain last year.

However, history could have been a lot different as the 29-year-old almost signed for Spurs before joining United, with the North London club making a move for him in the summer of 2019, which turned out to be Mauricio Pochettino’s last transfer window at the club.

In the end, the Lilywhites were unable to get a deal for the Portugal international over the line that summer, with the Red Devils paying £67.6m to bring him to Old Trafford in the subsequent January transfer window (BBC Sport).

Bruno Fernandes opens up on nearly Tottenham transfer

Discussing his failed move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Fernandes has now written 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. 

“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 rumours.

“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.

“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.”

Spurs Web Opinion

It was probably good for both Spurs and Fernandes that the deal did not materialise. While the former Sporting star would have found a place in Postecoglou’s starting eleven, I do not think either Mourinho or Conte would have fancied him as neither of them operates with a traditional number ten.