Manchester United are in desperate need of reinforcements during this transfer window. That much is obvious, with the club currently going through their worst start to a league campaign in 30 years.
A number of players have been linked. A striker is seen as a priority, with attempts to lure Erling Haaland to the club proving unsuccessful. The 19-year old Norwegian would go on to score a hat-trick on his Borussia Dortmund debut.
The lengthy injury lay-off currently facing Marcus Rashford is sure to have sped up the search for a forward player, but midfield is also an area of concern. Paul Pogba continues to battle his various ailments, while Scott McTominay is also still on the sidelines.
Bruno Fernandes is seen as the most logical option. The Sporting Lisbon midfielder has been linked with a move to Old Trafford for over a year, and while United denied any interest in the player last summer, they have been in negotiations with his club in recent weeks.
They haven't been going all that well. It is being reported that while United had agreed a fee for the 25-year old, they would back out at the last minute in order to try and secure a cheaper fee.
Sky Sports claim that Ed Woodward had negotiated a £55million fee for Fernandes, a deal Sporting were satisfied with. However, after getting word that the Portuguese club were in need of some major cashflow this month, Woodward pulled out from the deal and instead offered £42million.
If this report is accurate, it certainly does not reflect well on Ed Woodward or Manchester United. To pull out of an agreed deal when you hear of the desperation of the other party involved is certainly not the best business practice.
If Fernandes is the player they want, they need to be prepared to pay for him. They certainly have had no trouble puling the trigger on similar deals in the past.
Of course, this is the type of short-term planning that has plagued the club. They could have signed Fernandes last summer for a far less significant fee, only to pass up the opportunity. The Portugal international would go on to sign a new contract that greatly increased his value in the transfer market.
This is just the latest in a long line of transfer gaffes committed by their Chief Executive, with the patience of the club's supporters seemingly coming to an end.
