Manchester United’s new manager Mauricio Pochettino has wanted to work with Bruno Fernandes for quite some time. Seven years, to be precise.
The Argentine tried to sign the midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur back in 2019, when Fernandes was still playing for Sporting. The move collapsed, but the player later made it clear just how close he had come to joining Spurs.
Now, with Pochettino arriving at Old Trafford, that old transfer story has suddenly become relevant again. And it offers United supporters some encouragement about how their new manager might view the club captain.
Fernandes revealed Pochettino was behind Tottenham move
Portuguese newspaper O Jogo revisits the episode on Friday, minutes before Pochettino was appointed by Manchester United.
“It was Pochettino who wanted me there. The offer was good, but Sporting did everything to keep me,” Fernandes explained several years ago.
“I wanted to go to the Premier League. Frederico Varandas spoke to me, but not in the best way. It was the day after they had turned Tottenham down, which made me really angry.”
Sporting, however, weren’t prepared to let him go. Fernandes revealed that president Frederico Varandas approached him the day after rejecting Tottenham’s offer, which left the midfielder furious.
There’s quite a bit of history behind that failed transfer, and Sport Witness were following it closely at the time.
In February 2020, we covered a confirmation from Varandas that Sporting had rejected Tottenham’s proposal.
He was delighted with that decision, too. Sporting had subsequently sold Fernandes to Manchester United for considerably more money, and Varandas felt vindicated for holding out.
Fernandes, meanwhile, had finally got his Premier League move. Just not with the manager who originally wanted him.
Pochettino finally gets his man – for how long?
Fast forward to November 2026, and Pochettino is finally getting the chance to manage Fernandes. So maybe there’s something reassuring about knowing their new manager was personally interested in signing the Portuguese midfielder years before arriving at Old Trafford.
This wasn’t a player Pochettino inherited without knowing much about him. He had already identified Fernandes as someone he wanted in his Tottenham side.
The timing, though, brings another complication. As per multiple English outlets, Fernandes has rejected a second contract offer from Manchester United. His current agreement expires at the end of the season, with the club having an option to extend it for another year.
Talks are expected to continue of course, and Pochettino’s arrival adds an interesting element to those discussions.
There’s no evidence Fernandes’ previous experience with the Argentine will influence his contract decision. The two have never worked together, either.
Still, United have appointed a manager who was keen to sign their captain long before he became one of the club’s most important players.
