Chelsea are preparing a summer move for Sporting CP midfield ace Bruno Fernandes this summer. According to recent reports, the Blues are ready to table a bid to bring the Portuguese midfielder to West London when the transfer window opens in the summer. However, they will face strong competition from Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur in pursuit of the Portuguese international’s signature.
It is understood that Antonio Conte’s side are monitoring his development in Portuguese football and has made contact with the player ahead of a potential move at the end of the season. Some sources are now claiming that the West London team are yet to negotiate a fee with Sporting CP, who have inserted a £88m release clause in Fernandes’ contract when they sealed a move for him from Sampdoria last summer.
The 23-year-old has put in some impressive performances for Sporting CP during the course of this campaign which has not gone unnoticed with a whole host of clubs showing interest in securing his talents this summer. The Sporting CP midfield ace registered the winning goal in his side’s thrilling 4-3 victory over Belenenses last month. Fernandes has featured in 53 matches for the Portuguese giants this season, registering 16 goals while grabbing 20 assists across all competitions.
The Blues of London have a tally of 66 points after Gameweek 36 and find themselves in the fifth position in the league rankings with a crucial league match versus Liverpool looming on the horizon. The Stamford Bridge-based outfit needs to bring in some quality players in the off-season so that they can put on a much-improved performance in the next campaign.
Conte’s team also have an FA Cup final to look forward to, when they will clash heads with Manchester United later this month. The potential acquisition of Fernandes will definitely bolster Chelsea’s midfield options ahead of the new campaign. The West London club have the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Ross Barkley, NGolo Kante, Danny Drinkwater, Tiémoué Bakayoko vying for a place in the Conte’ first-team. The addition of Fernandes will improve their squad depth significantly and add more competition for places within the Blues’ team.
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At 23, the Sporting CP star is yet to reach his peak years which Chelsea could look to utilise in the near future. It remains to be seen what lies ahead in the future of Fernandes and whether he ends up making a switch to Stamford Bridge this summer in search of more challenging adventures.
