Sporting Consider Bruno Fernandes 'Alternatives' Amid Manchester United Rumours

Sporting CP manager Jorge Silas has said the club are considering "alternatives" to star midfielder Bruno Fernandes amid fresh speculation linking the player with a move to Manchester United.

Fernandes has been Sporting's star man for a while and has subsequently been linked with some of the biggest teams in European football, including the Red Devils.

With the transfer window open, Silas was quizzed on the prospect of Fernandes moving on and how the team would cope without him, per O Jogo (h/t Lucas Sposito of Sport Witness):

"He's a huge player. All players like Bruno always have a lot of market. We know that he'll always be a much talked of player and sought by clubs as big as they say. 

"I don't like to think about that beforehand, but I'm starting to think of alternatives within our team if Bruno doesn't stay with us. I hope that doesn't happen. In Portugal, unfortunately, we can't keep the best players for long. Bruno is the best player in the league."

When asked if he had any further information regarding a possible January sale of the player, Silas said "I don't have it."

The comments came before some Portuguese outlets reported that the Red Devils are ready to make their move for the 25-year-old playmaker, per Sport Witness:

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was quizzed on possible January activity in his press conference ahead of Saturday's Premier League match against Norwich City, and he said Fernandes "is another player in a different club I can't speak about." He added that "I wouldn't expect many ins and outs" in the current window."

If United were to pull off the signing of Fernandes in the coming weeks, then it would be a huge boost for the club.

This season, the Red Devils have lacked a thrust from midfield, with Paul Pogba injured for the majority of the campaign. Fernandes has shown in recent seasons that he can provide both a creative and goalscoring threat from a similar berth.

In the 2018-19 season, he netted 20 goals in 33 league games. This term, Fernandes has continued to have an impact in the final third:

Football writer Liam Canning thinks the Sporting man would be an ideal stylistic fit at Old Trafford:

Although Scott McTominay and Fred have progressed this season, United are without a player who can unpick deep-sitting defences with frequency when Pogba isn't available. Given the Frenchman's future continues to be a talking point, it would be no shock to see Solskjaer in the market for another attacking midfielder.

Fernandes is ready to make the step up to a higher profile of club and a more challenging league. It would be intriguing to see if he could be as effective in the Premier League and how he would link up with players like Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial