Monday’s Portuguese newspapers weren’t full of Bruno Fernandes’ tears.
The Sporting captain took part in a friendly on Sunday against Valencia and appeared to be emotional towards the end, with many Manchester United supporters understandably assuming he was upset because it was his last match for the Lisbon club.
It didn’t make as big news in Portugal, however Bruno, head in hands, is on the front page of Tuesday’s edition of A Bola.
The headline is ‘Is smells like farewell’, and inside there’s a further headline saying ‘The hour of goodbye’, but in the article they make it clear the player’s exit won’t be immediate.
Bruno’s agent Miguel Pinho is ‘likely’ to produce Manchester United’s long awaited official offer ‘in the coming hours’, believe A Bola.
The player himself is again said to have told those close to him that a transfer is edging forward. However, Sporting really want their midfielder and all round superhero to play 
against Benfica in the Supertaca on Sunday.
Then, after one last whirl for Sporting, Bruno can leave. Manchester United are very much pushed forward as the likeliest destination, but it’s made clear to not completely forget Tottenham.
A Bola say ‘the lions want their main weapon in their encounter with their eternal rival’, and then he can go to ‘Her Majesty’s lands’ next week for €70m.
A word of caution is probably worthy here. The Portuguese media, aside from one or two outliers, have been pretty quiet on this story for a week or so. It’s been pushed from elsewhere, so there’s every chance they’ve just got swept away with it all.
