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Sporting Lisbon captain Bruno Fernandes spent most of the summer being linked with a move to the Premier League, with Manchester United close to making a bid for him, and Tottenham also tracking the progress of the 25 year old.
And although no transfer subsequently materialised, he had been mentioned again as a possible target for United again when the window opens again in January.
However, all such speculation is now at an end after the midfielder signed a new deal with the Portuguese club, who were rumoured to be ready to sell him to solve a short-term financial crisis.
As a result, although the length of his contract with Sporting remains the same – it is due to expire in June 2023, his release clause has been increased from £65 million to £85 million, meaning that any clubs wanting to move for him will be deterred by the extra cost involved.
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.