Manchester United offered Bruno Fernandes but short-term targets remain priority at Old Trafford

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is aware that significant signings in January could impact United’s summer plans but they remain interested in the Sporting midfielder

Manchester United have been offered the opportunity to sign Bruno Fernandes and are interested in the Sporting midfielder but talks remain at a preliminary stage.

Sporting are asking for a fee of €70m (£60m) for the 25-year-old and are eager to engineer a move this month, with agent Jorge Mendes pushing the deal, having failed to capitalise on interest during the summer.

United were one of several clubs linked with Fernandes last year but ultimately opted against making an offer and distanced themselves from the player as the summer went on.

Injuries to Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay have since left manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer light in midfield. Ander Herrera and Marouane Fellaini are also yet to be replaced since departing last year, and Solskjaer is currently badly in need of the kind of creativity Fernandes would offer.

United are nevertheless understood to be prioritising short-term options in the January market, with Solskjaer claiming on Friday that a temporary fix would not be “the worst thing (to) do”. There is a view that any full purchases now could jeopardise potentially superior deals in the summer, especially with the club making James Maddison a number-one target. The state of the current midfield options, however, may force their hand.

Fernandes would qualify as a significant long-term investment, but he remains a player of interest at Old Trafford and the willingness of Sporting and his camp to do a deal could help.

Solskjaer is understood to have travelled to Lisbon to watch Fernandes play in Sporting’s defeat by Porto last Sunday, alongside his assistant manager Mike Phelan. The United manager did not deny he had made the trip when asked on Friday. “We go back to speculations and we do go and watch games all the time,” he said. “When I’ve been and where I’ve been is irrelevant. [Fernandes] is another player in a different club I can’t speak about.”

Tottenham have revived their own interest in the player, having come close to signing him last summer. They would not be able to match United’s wages, but negotiations could be concluded relatively quickly, especially as it was only the failure to sell Christian Eriksen that prevented the deal getting done in 2019.