Manchester United and Sporting Lisbon are discussing the structure of payments to make up the transfer fee for Bruno Fernandes, as the Red Devils press the accelerator on a deal.
Fernandes was close to joining Tottenham Hotspur last summer, but Spurs' offer was not palatable to Sporting Lisbon and he stayed in Portugal.
Manchester United insisted last year that he was not one of their priorities, but the club are moving towards securing his signature in the winter window.
Sporting Lisbon president Frederico Varandas spent all day at Manchester United’s London office, discussing a deal with Ed Woodward over Fernandes’ potential move to Old Trafford.
According to Portuguese sports daily O Jogo, the two clubs are now defining the structure of a deal and modes of payment that could see the midfielder move to Manchester United this month.
Sporting Lisbon want €70m from his departure, but rejected Tottenham’s bid last summer, which offered him €45m up front and €25m in performance-based bonuses.
It has been claimed that Manchester United’s current offer is around €60m and another €10m in bonuses.
Sporting Lisbon are prepared to let him go in order ease some financial burdens and the negotiations so far are claimed to have been smooth and positive.
Fernandes is aware of Manchester United’s interest and is hopeful that a deal will not fall through like the way it did with Tottenham last summer.
