Man City secure Bruno Fernandes deal ahead of Leicester

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As per a report from highly-reliable Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, Premier League champions Manchester City have clinched an agreement with Sporting CP over the signing of Bruno Fernandes.

Sporting standout

Fernandes, a gifted attack-minded midfielder, made the return to his home country of Portugal with Sporting in the summer of 2017, after a 5-year stint in Italy.

And to say that the 24-year-old has since gone on to establish himself as a key contributor at the José Alvalade Stadium would be putting it lightly.

Fernandes’ combination of eye for goal, set-piece prowess, creative flair and penchant for the spectacular have seen him emerge as one of Portuguese football’s leading talents over the last two seasons.

After directly contributing to over 30 goals across all competitions during his debut Sporting campaign, Fernandes has since taken his game to another level altogether this season, having notched an eye-catching 31 goals and 17 assists in the league alone.

Bruno Fernandes in Primeira Liga this season:

👕 30 games
🔑 96 chances created
💪 38 tackles
⚡️ 29 dribbles
⚽️ 16 goals
🅰️ 12 assists

Manchester City are close to signing the Sporting CP midfielder, per A Bola! 👀 pic.twitter.com/3mE5igJogT

— Goal (@goal) May 1, 2019

Imminent Man City switch

As such, the 11-time capped international’s standout showings in the Portuguese capital have inevitably begun to catch the eye of some of European football’s biggest clubs.

Of the sides named as serious suitors of Fernandes, Premier League rivals Manchester United and Manchester City have been the most persistently-touted as potential destinations.

Bruno Fernandes during the UEFA Europa League Round-of-16 first-leg match between Sporting Lisbon and Viktoria Plzen. (Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images)

But, after reports in Portugal over the weekend suggested that Pep Guardiola’s City had taken a clear lead in the race for the midfielder, the Citizens now appear to have all-but wrapped up Fernandes’ signing.

As per the respected Gianluca Di Marzio, the English champions have agreed a 55 million Euro deal with Sporting.

A full agreement is expected to be found imminently, with Fernandes set to ply his trade at the Etihad from next season on:

#Calciomercato | #ManCity, ecco #BrunoFernandes per 55 mln di euro. Operazione in dirittura per il centrocampista dello #SportingCP https://t.co/WiIlsTaF9Y

— Gianluca Di Marzio (@DiMarzio) May 6, 2019