Everton’s reported interest in Sporting CP wonder Bruno Fernandes have taken a major dent, as Record are now claiming that Atletico Madrid are scouting the 24-year-old.
It is said that the La Liga side are long-term admirers of Fernandes, and sent scouts to report back on the Portuguese midfielder when he faced Villarreal in the Europa League on Thursday.
If the reports are true, Diego Simeone’s staff would have witnessed the 11-cap international net his 18th goal for the club in all competitions.
Everton were also once again identified as a potential suitor, alongside Liverpool, but any hopes that we harbour will likely be slim thanks to Sporting inserting a €100million release clause in a contract extension only signed in the summer.
If we do miss out on the talented 24-year-old, we may have to stick with Gylfi Sigurdsson for a bit longer, and hope that he can recover the form that has eluded him of late.
The Iceland international’s nine goals are still enough for the 29-year-old to be our second best scorer in the Premier League, but his last successful strike came against Southampton in January and the one before that was on Boxing Day at Burnley.
Fernandes, on the other hand, has scored six in as many games in all competitions, including two Man of the Match displays, and took his Liga NOS tally to 11 in 21 outings.