Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has urged Manchester United chief Ed Woodward to speed up a deal for Sporting Lisbon star Bruno Fernandes.
The 24-year-old has been linked with a host of Premier League clubs following a prolific season in the Portuguese capital, with the attacking midfielder scoring 32 goals in all competitions for Sporting last season.
Manchester United are thought to have moved ahead of Tottenham in the race to sign Fernandes, although Portuguese outlet Record is reporting that United boss Solskjaer has urged the club’s hierarchy to complete a deal before his squad return for pre-season on July 1.
Fernandes’ agent, Miguel Pinho, is believed to have travelled to England for talks over a deal but returned to Lisbon with no agreement in place.
Sporting’s excessive demands are believed to be stalling the deal, with no club willing to match the Portuguese side’s €70m asking price.
Interestingly, Fernandes’ current contract has a clause which means he is owed a €5m payment if the club rejects an offer of €35m or more.
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