Sporting Lisbon president Bruno Varandas has revealed the club nearly sold Bruno Fernandes to Tottenham in the summer - and spoke of his relief that they held out for a better offer.
The Portugal international finally joined Manchester United in the January transfer window after a protracted transfer saga that begun in the summer.
Both United and Tottenham were vying to sign the 25-year-old from Sporting in the summer while Mauricio Pochettino was in charge, before Spurs eventually captured Giovani Lo Celso on loan from Real Betis.
United paid £46.5m plus add-ons for Fernandes but Varandas admitted they were nearly forced them to take a lower offer from Spurs.
“At the end of June, we had become aware that we were going to sell Bruno," he told Portuguese newspaper Record.
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"We had already signed Camacho, Rosier and Vietto, and we wanted to bring in a striker and a midfielder who were practically closed.
"The last four days of this market were the worst of my presidency, that’s when I realised that we didn’t sell Bruno Fernandes.
“Bruno’s sale was very conditioned by his return. If Sporting refused a bid of €35m, we would have to give his agent €5m. This clause was made public irresponsibly.
"It was one of the things that seriously penalised us. And it was only in this window that Sporting took that weight off our shoulders, to go and negotiate."
He continued: “There are no non-negotiable players," Varandas added. "Bruno Fernandes is the proof. And it was an obligation. We wouldn’t be able to reach €115m without [selling] him.
"With the sale in January, for €63m practically certain, it was shown that we did well to resist and not to accept the proposal of Tottenham.”
