Sporting Lisbon attacking midfielder Bruno Fernandes is reportedly keen to wait and see if Real Madrid come in with an offer for him.
According to Don Balon, a move to the Bernabeu would be Fernandes’ favoured option, though he’s also been linked with Manchester United.
MORE: Manchester United make improved £46.5m bid for January target
A Bola have reported that the Portugal international can move for a transfer fee of around €70million, which seems perfectly affordable for clubs like Real and Man Utd.
And yet, Fernandes remains with Sporting for the time being, with seemingly little progress made on getting a January move over the line.
The Athletic claim United have been in talks over signing the 25-year-old, but it does not currently look like any deal is imminent.
It will be interesting to see if Real Madrid do end up entering the running, with Los Blancos perhaps also in need of more quality in midfield at the moment.
Fernandes could be a decent long-term replacement for ageing playmaker Luka Modric, and he might also find Spanish football easier to adapt to than the Premier League.
Either way, Don Balon’s report sheds some light on why the Fernandes to Man United move may be stalling, so it could be yet more frustrating news for the Red Devils after so many recent struggles in the transfer market.