Arsenal Opinion: Bruno Fernandes can be a massive bargain for the Gunners at £30 million
According to claims from Portuguese news outlet O Jogo, Arsenal have joined the race to sign Sporting Lisbon captain Bruno Fernandes in the summer, with Chelsea, Atletico Madrid and Man United all interested in securing the services of the 24-year-old Portuguese international.
O Jogo also understands that Sporting CP are under pressure to sell this summer and are prepared to listen to offers of around £30 million to part ways with their club-captain, though his release clause currently stands at £85 million.
Arsenal are on the lookout for a long-term replacement successor to the throne of Aaron Ramsey at the club, who is set to join Juventus on a free transfer at the end of the season after spending ten seasons in north London.
Fernandes, though, is not the only player to have been linked with Arsenal ahead of the upcoming transfer season.
The Gunners have been credited with an interest in Hoffenheim star Kerem Demirbay (Metro), PSG youngster Christopher Nkunku (Daily Express) and Eibar midfielder Joan Jordan (Marca) in recent months, as they continue their hunt for an ideal alternative to the departing Welshman.
After spending five seasons in Italy playing for the likes of Novara, Udinese and Sampdoria, Fernandes returned to his homeland with Sporting CP in 2017 and has carved out a massive reputation for himself with his consistently impressive performances.
Fernandes netted 16 goals and assisted a further 20 in the 2017-18 season and has continued his scintillating run of form this term as well, racking up a remarkable 28 goals and 15 assists in all competitions to put his name amongst the most influential playmakers in Europe.
To put things into perspective, Arsenal have done the right thing by entering the race to sign the highly-rated Portuguese playmaker, and at the quoted price of £30 million, the 24-year-old might as well prove to be the bargain of the season if the Gunners do manage to strike a deal for him in the summer.
Arsenal have shown plenty of promise in their first season under Unai Emery and have brought themselves on the brink of a top-four finish in the Premier League, though successive defeats to Crystal Palace and Wolves have somewhat threatened to spoil their campaign.
Securing Champions League football should be the yardstick of a successful season for the Gunners, which would also boost their summer transfer budget significantly.
Well, if Arsenal are looking for bargain deals in the market, then they would hardly find anyone better than Bruno Fernandes. Similar to his international teammate Bernardo Silva in his style of play, Fernandes can be described as a well-oiled midfield engine with high levels of stamina and plenty of quality on the ball.
A technically-gifted and tactically-versatile creative ace, the 24-year-old not only excels with his creative passing, vision and remarkable speed of thought but he is also adept at reading the transitions in play to perfection, using his positional sense, awareness and stamina to cut out the opposition’s attacks with key interventions.
He is someone who can create his own space and break the opposition’s lines in the midfield, while also possessing the presence of mind and the skill set to pull off defence-splitting through balls.
Although he is suited to No.8 and No.10 roles in the midfield, Fernandes is equally adept at playing out wide on either flank, where he tends to link up with his teammates and creates chances with his accurate crossing.
A recognised set-piece specialist and a potent distance-shooter, the 24-year-old not only has a wonderful conversion rate from dead ball situations but he also has the ability to test the goalkeeper from range with his powerful right foot.
A perfect blend of tenacity, hard work, finesse and guile, Fernandes is arguably one of the most complete midfielders in Europe at the moment and he certainly has all that it takes to propel Arsenal to the highest level.
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It is now time for Arsenal to turn their promise into something meaningful and Fernandes is exactly the kind of player that they should be looking at, though they would have to do really well to beat off competition from a number of top European clubs.
