Besides all the regular Bruno Fernandes updates we’ve covered from Portuguese newspapers this morning, there’s also a column from Record which deserves some attention.
Following Manchester United’s chase for the player, the outlet’s director Octávio Ribeiro has a piece called ‘Bruno’s hurry’, which talks about the player’s wish to leave Sporting.
It’s said that the midfielder’s situation may affect Sporting’s performance, since he’s the man responsible for how the team plays. Having him thinking about a transfer may affect the ‘preparation and mental state’ of the squad.
Ribeiro brings interesting information from his own sources claiming that ‘the agent with whom Bruno has a contract’ has an agreement with Sporting which ‘compromises’ the club to accept a bid of €50m.
It goes like this: If the agent delivers a bid of €50m, Sporting would have to accept it, otherwise they must pay the representative a fine of €5m. And given the commission he’d make with the sale, he takes the €5m either way.
It’s not clear if this official would be Miguel Pinho, who is Bruno Fernandes’ personal agent, or Jorge Mendes, who had an authorisation from Sporting to sell the player.
Record had earlier denied the existence of a clause, saying: ‘Record found from a source close to this case, this information does not correspond to the truth of the facts.’
Bruno Fernandes used to have a similar clause in case of a €35m bid, but that €5m fine would go to the player in case Sporting rejected an offer.
Tottenham made a bigger bid in the summer, and the midfielder not only gave up on the money, but also removed the clause when signing a new contract. He’s spoken publicly about it.
So regardless of Pinho or Mendes, this new agreement sounds like something more recent.
Sporting weren’t going to sell the player for €35m last summer, and €50m seems too low now, so why they continue agreeing to clauses, perhaps in the hope they won’t be used, is a mystery.
