"If Man United had been patient, we would have sold Fernandes for €20m"

Sporting President, Federico Varandes has revealed if Mancunian Giants, Manchester United had been patient enough, his club would have Portuguese Magnifico, Bruno Fernandes to them for as low as €20m.

Varandes made this statement during an interview with Portuguese need outlet, SIC in which he was discussing how the current world pandemic has affected football more than just the inability to play.

Varandes said:

“The crisis caused by the pandemic harms the European football industry in general. But of all countries, Portugal is the most affected, because 50 per cent of revenues come from the sale of players. He [Fernandes] was sold for €65m in January. Today, what would he be worth? Maybe €20m if Manchester United had waited”.

Former Manchester United goalkeeper, Edwin van Der Sar who is now the Chairman at Aiax revealed recently that the era of €150m transfers has passed in football and clubs will be striking deals for less now. When revealing that Man United target, Van der Beek could leave the club this summer, he said:

““The big clubs such as Bayern Munich have said the benchmark fee will go down in the next few transfer windows. But it’s easier for them to say because they are the buyers. Of course, the €150m-€200m (£131m-£175m) transfers are gone. But I think there is still a lot of value for players who come from Ajax. Well educated, experienced in winning and playing European football. Last year, we made verbal agreements with [Andre] Onana, [Nicolas] Tagliafico, Van de Beek to stay another season and then we look to help each other and find the next step in their careers. Nothing has changed. There won’t be a 50% discount. The clubs can forget about that.”

Varandes appears to have echoed those words as he revealed due to the current pandemic ravaging the world, if Manchester United had waited for a year till this Summer, he would have been forced to do away with Bruno Fernandes for just €20 million.

Manchester United however paid over tripe of that amount and if all clauses in the deal that took the box to box midfielder to Old Trafford is fulfilled, he could cost quadruple of the amount that he could have been signed for had United waited six months.

However, United will not be too disheartened with Bruno Fernandes’ arrival proving to be a breath of fresh air in the first team with the player contributing three goals and four assists in nine appearances. And despite coming into the club in January and making just five appearances for the club, he was surprisingly named in the BBC Premier League team of the season to the Surprise of football fans around the globe.

He has also won the Premier League player of the month in his first month in England as well as the club’s player of the month awards.

Manchester United have also not lost a game since his arrival and despite the fact that the club would definitely have loved to save a lot of cash, they will not be too displeased based on Fernandes’ performances so far.

Comparisons between him and United great, Scholes have also be drawn and he could become a real legend at the club if all goes well.

United chief, Ed Woodward has also joined in the conversation about how the pandemic has affected football’s finances saying the next transfer window will be different from what people expected as clubs are not currently making money.

Woodward has hinted Manchester United will not spend big this summer which has put the Jadon Sancho transfer in doubt.

Alongside Sancho, Jack Grealish is another target while United are monitoring the situation of Nigerian midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi.