Portuguese may not allow star man to leave the Dragao this month though after just selling Lucho Gonzalez.
Manchester United are hoping to be able to complete a deal for FC Porto midfielder Fernando before the January transfer window closes, according to reports in the Daily Mirror.
Read more Manchester United transfer news.
The former Brazil Under-20 international is only contracted to the Portuguese champions until June 30 2014 and so the player would be available on a lucrative free transfer come the end of this campaign.
However, with the likes of rivals Liverpool and Serie A giants AC Milan also both said to be interested in signing Fernando this summer, the Red Devils are now hoping to be able to beat their competitors to the 26-year-old’s signature by offering his club a cut-price fee for the defensive midfielder this month, meaning the Portuguese would not then run the risk of losing their star man for nothing in six months time.
But there still remains one major stumbling block to United being able to conclude a successful deal for Fernando, and that is the imposing figure of Porto president Pinto da Costa, a man famed for always driving a hard bargain when it comes to the sale of his players.