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Manchester United were heavily linked throughout the summer window with a move for Sporting Lisbon midfielder Bruno Fernandes.
Yet, in the end they decided not to pursue their interest in the Portuguese international, and now the main reason has emerged, Whilst Fernandes style of play offered goals in midfield, United scouts did not feel that his style fitted how United want to line up under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
In particular, there were concerns about his decision-making on the ball, and his propensity for losing possession, with the 24-year old’s pass completion rate last season of 75% deemed not good enough. In comparison with Fernandes, both Paul Pogba and Kevin de Bruyne have pass completion rates of 82%.
United want players who are comfortable on the ball, and believe all their major summer acquisitions – Harry Maguire, Aaron Wan Bissaka, and Daniel James – fit that bill.
Fernandes, who was linked also with Spurs, remains unsold, with just a few weeks of the European transfer windows left.
Andy is an exiled English football fan living in Cyprus. He loves all sports but football is his abiding passion, and he still has dreams every now and then about scoring the winning goal in a Wembley Cup Final, even though his playing days are long gone. He follows most major leagues, across Europe at least, and has a favoured team in each. When he’s not watching, listening, reading or downloading podcasts about football, he spend his time worrying about his beloved Arsenal.