Marco Silva chasing Portuguese star to bolster midfield options

One of the common schools of thought when it comes to Everton in the January transfer market is that one of the club’s needs is another midfielder who can move the ball up the field and pick out a pass. Denis Suarez of Barcelona was tentatively linked, but now he looks set to join Arsenal.

Instead, Marco Silva might be turning to his homeland for reinforcements in the form of Sporting CP’s midfielder Bruno Fernandes. Only 24, the Portuguese international fits the mold of what Silva and Marcel Brands have proven to be interested in over the last six or so months. Courtesy of A Bola, via TeamTalk:

Liverpool and Everton are being tipped to go head to head in the race to sign Sporting Lisbon midfielder Bruno Fernandes this month.

Fernandes joined Sporting from Sampdoria in 2017, for a fee in the region of €10m, and scored 16 goals and laid on 20 assists in a hugely impressive first season for the Portuguese giants.

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And now, according to Portuguese publication ​A BOLA, the two Merseyside clubs are ready to battle to land the Portugal international in January.

Fernandes is said to have a €100m release clause in his contract, but the report goes on to state that given Sporting’s current financial situation the midfielder would be available for a cut-price €40m in this window.

While Liga NOS isn’t of a particular high standard, Fernandes has impressed in Serie A previously and already has 14 goals and 9 assists in just 27 appearances this season, ridiculous production in any league. Part of those games played came in the Europa League, too, so it hasn’t all been in Portugal.

According to TransferMarkt, Fernandes has played most of his career in the attacking or central midfield, but can also deputize as a winger or secondary striker. As we have seen with links to players like Suarez, and how Silva utilizes Bernard and Richarlison, versatility is coveted by the brass at Finch Farm.

It might take a pretty penny to get any deal for Bruno Fernandes across the line, but this could well be a transfer worth investigating further.