Jose Mourinho has ruled out a Tottenham Hotspur move for Sporting Lisbon midfielder Bruno Fernandes.
Fernandes had been touted as a potential replacement for Christian Eriksen whose contract expires in the summer.
Sky Sports reports that Spurs held talks with Fernandes in the last transfer window to prepare for Eriksen’s departure.
Mourinho was expected to follow up this interest in January but it seems that Fernandes signing a new deal at Sporting has priced us out.
MORE: Opinion – Has Mourinho Possibly Saved Levy £20m Wasted?
With his new contract, the Portuguese international’s release clause has jumped from £65m to £85m, according to Sky Sports.
“I would definitely say no because Bruno is a player of a level and value that is not for us”
Mourinho is quoted by Sky Sports as saying.
‘We are not a club that is going to make big transfers in the market, nor is it going towards players who are already developed or at a certain level of expectation, also economically. We are a different club at this level.”
Fernandes would have been an ideal successor to Eriksen, having scored 59 goals and assisted 47 more in 128 matches for Sporting.
His fresh asking price of £85m would not have been baulked at by Mourinho’s previous clubs, but would scare off Daniel Levy.
This is a new business model that Mourinho must come to terms with. For now, albeit only two weeks in, he seems at peace with it.
I think grealish chose to stay at villa as they got promoted back up. Its his boyhood club hes one of their own… Aye January is dear too.. We really need a striker to relieve kane. Kanes already played 20 games more than anyone else.. Hes injury prone we need to look after him
What price Grealish now even though Villa are insistent that he’s going nowhere..I had my doubts about him last season,but he has proved himself this season from what I’ve seen of him.
Grealish and McGinn would be a coup,however I think Levy burned his bridges with the Villa hierachy last time.
I would take grealish in a heartbeat mate… So far this season grealish is easily topping the charts for most fouls on a player with 53.. Twice as much as anyone else with the likes of maddison only half that.. Villa are struggling in the prem, yet opponents still cant get the ball off grealish hes fouled and hacked down constantly.. We been missing a quality ball carrier/dribbler since moussa dembele left
Over the course of a week Levy’s turned the “seriel winner” into the expectation manager and voice of making do…..
#different.
HaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahahahaaaaaahahahahaaaaaaaHAHAHAaaaaaaaahahaaaaha……*breath*……..HAaaaaaaaaaAAAA hahaHAHaAaaaaHaaaaaaahahahahahahahaha……HA…..ha HAaAaaa
Sing from that hymn sheet Jose…..it’s been well, well, well used.
Joke non FC.
We wouldn’t shell out for cheaper options like Grealish, Tielemans or Maddison either.
Lo Celso covered in cobwebs on the bench, whilst Eriksen scratches tally marks on the dressing room wall.
Hopefully José can pull a rabbit out of the hat with all his contacts.