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Manchester United have been a transformed team since January, largely thanks to the spectacular impact of Bruno Fernandes.
The Portuguese star has given Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team a creative outlet that has so often been lacking at United in recent years, and the presence of a dedicated creative midfielder who splits the defense means they are no longer relying on counterattacks to kill to stubborn opponents.
So far, Fernandes appears to be worth every penny of the £ 47m United first paid to Sporting CP during the last transfer window.
Italian club Sampdoria believes they are entitled to a portion of that fee, which could amount to £ 67.6 million.
The Serie A side claimed that a 10% sale clause was part of the deal when Fernandes was sold to Sporting, meaning that they are owed approximately £ 4 million. The matter is now being investigated by FIFA. United and the player are not involved.
Fernandes, who had moved up in rank at Boavista in Portugal, initially moved to Sampdoria from Udinese on loan in the summer of 2016 with a view to a permanent deal.
His transfer of £ 8.5 million to Sporting was confirmed a year later.
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Fernandes moves from the central midfield to wide areas, finds a lot of time on the ball and appears in the space just behind the front line of the opposition.
He scored five times in 35 appearances for Sampdoria, but the variety of goals reveals how versatile the midfielder is.
In his first, Fernandes turns into an acre space on the right and shoots the ball under the opposition goalkeeper from 20 yards.
His next is an absolute rocket from mid-volley range, a target of sheer brilliance.
The third is a two-yard tap-in, but his fourth is also a classic.
A Sampdoria striker pulls the ball back from the goal line to find Fernandes running into the opposition’s six-yard area, having escaped from his marker, to crush him from close range.
For his fifth, Fernandes whips his house in spectacular fashion under pressure.
What is remarkable about each objective is the space that Fernandes creates for himself. Even before his 23rd birthday, Fernandes’ football intelligence is obvious, his ability to find space on a field is strange.
Just two assists to add to his five goals don’t do Fernandes’ influence in Sampdoria justice that season.
An average team finished tenth in Serie A, and Colombian striker Luis Muriel was criticized for failing to finish the many opportunities Fernandes gave him.
Clearly, it wasn’t the raw numbers that drew Sporting’s attention, but his potential as a scorer and creator-in-chief. And the € 100 million buyout clause they quickly applied to their new recruit was a massive statement of their faith in their enormous potential.
Sporting’s belief that Fernandes could become a perfect attacking midfielder was duly reimbursed, and he easily reached double figures for goals and assists in each of his three seasons with them, including the third, despite leaving in January.
As for Sampdoria, they are unlikely to forget such a talent. And as they search for a reward for their big move to United, their fans will remember their time at the club again.
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