Man Utd and City go head-to-head in £90m transfer battle for midfield goal-machine Bruno Fernandes from Sporting
Ace has been in fine form this season and could be heading to Premier League
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MANCHESTER CITY are planning to pip Manchester United to Sporting Lisbon captain Bruno Fernandes.
Old Trafford boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hopes to land the free-scoring Portugal international as part of his summer rebuilding plans.
But Treble-chasing City have opened negotiations with Sporting officials as they seek to land the 24-year-old attacking midfielder.
United host City tomorrow night as they bid to wreck their neighbours' Premier League title hopes and salvage a top-four place.
But reports in Portugal claim Etihad boss Pep Guardiola is close to snatching Fernandes from under the Red Devils' noses after secret talks last week.
Sporting's director of football, ex-Newcastle midfielder Hugo Viana, is understood to have flown to England for a meeting with his City counterpart Txiki Begiristain.
The Primeira Liga club has written an £87million buyout clause into Fernandes' contract, which runs until 2023.
The 11-cap international has scored 28 goals in 48 games this season. He has excelled since arriving from Sampdoria in 2017.
Voted Portuguese player of last season, he has captained Sporting to two League Cup successes.
He previously spent five seasons in Italy with Novara, Udinese and Sampdoria.
Fernandes recently declared his readiness to move to the Premier League
He said: "I had offers from clubs in England and Spain last year, but didn't yet feel ready to go to a league where you play so many games.
"I felt I needed another year with Sporting to prepare myself for the demands of these competitions."