Manchester City’s £35,000,000 joint bid for Fernando and FC Porto team mate Eliaquim Mangala on deadline day failed.
City were prepared to pay a sizeable fee for the Porto playmakers despite his contract being due to run out at the end of the season. He has since agreed new terms with the club amidst threats from club president Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa to freeze him out of the team for the rest of the campaign. Porto have claimed that the new deal ties Fernando too them until at least 2017, and it is accompanied with a £25,000,000 buyout clause.
However sources close to the player still insist that he could arrive on British shores this summer. His agent Antonio Araujo has however warned that the Manchester club is not the only club showing intrest in the midfield maestro.
“God willing, Fernando will play in the premier league” said Araujo. “Manchester City were a strong candidate but were not alone in the race.”
He added “He had a good contract from Monaco but Porto found out that proposal was inconsistent with his claims.”
City have recently lost both Fernandinho and Javi Garcia to injury and it has highlighted the lack of defensive midfielders in the squad. It is something that City management needs to adress especially as it has been speculated both Garcia and Jack Rodwell could be leaving the Etihad this summer.
