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Manchester United have already identified the successor to Bruno Fernandes should the captain leave the club this summer, and he is a player very well-known to head coach Ruben Amorim.
According to Portuguese outlet A Bola (paper edition, 31st May), United have set their sights on Sporting CP star Pedro “Pote” Goncalves, Fernandes’ successor at the Alvalade and seen by many as his natural successor in the Portugal national team.
The outlet says United are “considering the possibility” of making a bid for Gonçalves and that this “will gain more substance if the Red Devils sell Bruno Fernandes’ economic rights to the Saudis at Al Hilal”.
Like Fernandes, Pote wears the number 8 shirt, being a strong central midfielder, and was often deployed in the front three of Amorim’s 3-4-3 system.
Playing mostly on the left side of attack this season, the 26 year old has scored six goals and provided six assists in 20 games for the Lions, having missed a big chunk of the season with a muscle injury.
Under Amorim last term, Pote shone much more brightly, registering 18 goals and 17 assists in 49 games. 14 of those G/As came when playing in a central midfield role.
Gonçalves has three caps for Portugal, which would likely be a lot more were it not for the presence of Fernandes ahead of him and also for some strange selection decisions that arguably seem to favour players from other clubs.
A Bola insists that United could press ahead with the transfer “even if Bruno Fernandes does not leave”.
However, it remains to be seen whether there will be sufficient funds in United’s transfer kitty to make that happen.
Sporting’s position is that Pote can only leave if his €80 million (£67m) is triggered.
With United already having committed to signing Wolves’ Matheus Cunha and still hunting for a new striker, whether the hefty fee proves to be a stumbling block could depend on how much United make from player sales.
It could also boil down to the structuring of the deal and whether Sporting would accept payment in instalments.
If Fernandes does leave, however, the pursuit of Gonçalves will adopt a much greater importance and significance. He would almost certainly be among the leading contenders to once again fill the shoes of the Magnifico.
Sensing danger, the Lisbon outfit are trying to tie the player down to a new contract but “he intends to wait a little longer [before signing] to see how the market moves in his direction.”
Featured image Gualter Fatia via Getty Images
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