Sporting have just tiny chance of getting Man Utd’s full fee for Bruno Fernandes transfer thanks to clause in contract
MANCHESTER UNITED may have finally agreed a deal with Sporting Lisbon for Bruno Fernandes – but they are unlikely to have to cough up the full amount.
The Portuguese side had been holding out for £68million up front with United only originally offering £42.5m plus £8.5m add ons.
But the chances of that happening in the current climate are slim.
United will cough up £46.6m up front plus £4.2m based on appearances and a further £4.2m if they qualify for the Champions League.
There is also a further £12.7m on offer should Fernandes to win the Ballon D’Or and help take United to Champions League glory.
The 25-year-old has agreed to a four-and-a-half year contract with the option on the club’s side to extend that by a further year.
However, as things currently stand, the odds are stacked against him achieving all of those feats and netting Sporting a tidy windfall.
The first two are well within reach this season despite it being a rather miserable one for United.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have only picked up 34 points from 24 games in the Premier League so far.
However fourth-placed Chelsea, who occupy the last qualifying spot for the Champions League, are only six points ahead.
And with Fernandes’ attacking threat soon to be added to United’s ranks, Solskjaer will be confident he can close that gap.
BRUNO FERNANDES - THE FIGURES BEHIND HIS MAN UTD MOVE
Up-front fee: £46.6m
Appearances: £4.2m
Champions League qualification: £4.2m
Winning the Ballon d'Or or CL at United: £12.7m
Total figure: £67.7m
But the bookies are not quite as sure, with Ladbrokes pricing them at 4/1 to finish in the top four.
They can also reach the continent’s elite competition by going all the way in the Europa League - you can get odds of 7/1 on that.
And you can get a price of 5/2 for them to qualify for the Champions League via either a top four finish or by winning the Europa.
The amount of appearances the midfielder has to make remains unknown, but Ladbrokes make him a rank outsider to claim the Ballon d’Or crown while at Old Trafford.
He is priced at 66/1 to win it this year, and you can get odds of 12/1 for Fernandes to lift the award as a Manchester United player.
MAN UTD NEWS LIVE: Follow for all the latest on the Red Devils
LATEST MAN UTD NEWS
Either way, and especially with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo showing no signs of slowing down just yet, Sporting will hardly be holding their breath.
Fernandes is likely to complete his move within 24 hours after setting off from his homeland to Manchester.
And Solskjaer will be hoping all the relevant paperwork is submitted in time to enable him to make his United debut against at Old Trafford on Saturday.
The playmaker has already scored 15 goals from 28 appearances this season, as well as providing 14 assists, with United in desperate need of a player with his goal return and creative spark.