Mendes expects Manchester United target Fernandes to leave Sporting Lisbon

Manchester United target Bruno Fernandes will have left Sporting Lisbon by the summer while Paul Pogba may decide to exit Old Trafford, according to their agents.

United have been linked with Portugal international Fernandes since last summer but are reportedly unwilling to meet the Primera Liga side’s demands.

Sporting have reportedly valued the 25-year-old midfielder at £55million, with United thought to be offering £15m less.

Fernandes’ agent Jorge Mendes confirmed that if not this month, his player will leave Sporting in the summer.

Fernandes has been linked with a switch to Old Trafford
Fernandes has been linked with a switch to Old Trafford

Mendes told Sky Sports News: “If he (Fernandes) will not leave now he will leave for sure in the summer because Sporting, they have spoken already with other clubs and something will happen.

“I’m not sure if (it will happen) now or the end of the season.”

Meanwhile, speculation over Pogba’s future at United rumbles on, with his agent Mino Raiola refusing to rule out a summer move for the France midfielder.

Pogba, who returned to United from Juventus in 2016, has repeatedly been linked with an exit from the Premier League club.

Raiola said: “I expect my players to be happy and I expect the clubs to be happy. That is my work. I do not want to work in front of what might be happening in the summer.

“For now he (Pogba) needs to be getting fit and then it is my job to get both parties if possible, happy. If one of those parties is not happy then there are other ways to resolve that.

“But that is not today the way to talk or to speculate. I don’t say anything for sure. There’s only one thing for sure in life and that is that one day you die.

“A lot of people did not think he would have gone back to Manchester United, people tend to forget that, people tend to imagine that Manchester United was the only club he could have signed for.

“That was not the case. He chose Manchester United. Maybe (Sir Alex) Ferguson did not like that but he chose Manchester United.”

Raiola was quoted last month suggesting that he would stop bringing his players to Old Trafford amid more speculation over Pogba’s future.

Paul Pogba could leave United in the summer
Paul Pogba could leave United in the summer

The 52-year-old has now questioned United’s “project” and whether Pogba still wants to be part of the club’s plans after the summer.

“The quotes were a little bit strong but I think what I meant is that Manchester United needs to get their project right, otherwise there is no sense. I said what I said,” Raiola added.

“Everybody knows the ambition from both parts has not been met the last few years. Let’s be honest, let’s talk about the elephant in the room.

“So we need to see in the summer if Paul is still in the plans of Manchester United and if Manchester United is still in the plans of Paul.”

On his relationship with the club, Raiola said: “I think it is good, it is a professional, honest relationship. I have never spoken to Ole (Gunnar Solskjaer), I hear he is a fantastic person and fantastic man.”

Advertisement