“Very close to getting an agreement done”: Bruno Fernandes explains why move to rival PL club collapsed

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has revealed that he came very close to joining Tottenham Hotspur, detailing why the transfer collapsed. Super Bruno Fernandes enjoyed a breathtaking 2025/26 campaign with United, helping the club to a third-place finish and securing Champions League football. He led the charge, contributing nine goals and 21 assists. By recording his 21st assist in the final game of the season against Brighton & Hove Albion, he overtook Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry to claim the record for most assists in a single campaign. Over the weekend, the Portugal international was named the Premier League’s Player of the Season. This is in addition to picking up United’s Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year, Players’ Player of the Year and the 2025/26 Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year awards. After the win over Brighton, Fernandes was also presented with the Coca-Cola Playmaker award. He is considered the favourite to scoop up the PFA Player of the Year award, which would complete a fantastic year on an individual level. Fernandes has arguably been the best United signing in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era since arriving at the club from Sporting CP in January 2020. United forked out £67.6million to secure his services. But United could have missed out on Fernandes entirely, as he was painfully close to signing with Tottenham. Fernandes’ revelation Speaking on The Diary of A CEO podcast, Fernandes disclosed, “Yeah, I spoke with Tottenham, and we were very close to getting an agreement done. Then, in the last two days of the market, Sporting just said, ‘We’re not going to sell him. We’re going to keep him because we need him.’” “Yes, because I wanted to play in the Premier League, because for me it is the best league in the world. It’s the most competitive one.” “It’s the one that I think when you grow up, you dream to play for you know, like full stadiums, top clubs, top players.” He added, “Obviously, I was lucky enough that my dream club to play in England was Man United, and obviously, Tottenham at the time was the option I had, and I was very, very happy to join them because they showed me the process that they were going through.” United are said to already be keen on handing Fernandes a new contract to extend his stay at the club. His current terms expire in 2027, although the Red Devils retain an option to keep him for an additional 12 months. Featured image Michael Regan via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Derick Kinoti Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the Premier League extensively for years. His work blends sharp analysis, tactical insight, and engaging storytelling that resonates with fans around the world. Derick has gained valuable experience in football journalism, developing strong expertise in SEO writing, digital content creation, and social media engagement. A tech enthusiast with a Computer Science degree from the University of Nairobi, he ultimately swapped code for football commentary, bringing an analytical, detail-oriented approach to his writing. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!