Bruno Fernandes to Tottenham was nearly a reality before Man United took advantage of the situation a few months later.
The Portuguese star has been an interesting addition to the Premier League since his near £60million switch from Sporting to Old Trafford. In his first season, the 28-year-old stormed onto the scene and became the heart of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's outfit with 20 goal contributions added in his first 22 games as a Red Devil.
Since then, his progression has arguably stalled slightly as Premier League defenders have now adjusted to his game, such to a point whereby he is not a definite starter under new manager Erik ten Hag. No player is guaranteed a spot under the Dutchman's reign as the former Ajax boss looks to shake up the playing squad.
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But how different could Fernandes' career have been if he would have moved to London instead of Manchester? It is well known that the Lilywhites were in for the Sporting talent in the summer of 2019, but no fee could be agreed.
And in the January which followed, the Portuguese club got their way as United paid the asking price for a player who they believed, like Joao Felix, had a high market value.
Fast forward a few years to 2022 and Cristiano Ronaldo's international teammate has opened up about the transfer situation and Sporting's stance when Mauricio Pochettino and Daniel Levy came calling.
He told The Athletic: "Obviously I wanted to go to the Premier League. The manager, Mauricio Pochettino, was the one who wanted me there. It was a good offer but Sporting tried their best to keep me.
"The president (Frederico Varandas) spoke with me but he spoke with me on the wrong day. It was the day after they decided to refuse the offer from Tottenham and I was really angry. Luckily for me, the manager (Marcel Keizer) was the right one at the right time."
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