Arsenal launch £13.6m offer for Sporting Lisbon winger Joelson Fernandes - report
Arsenal have made a £13.6m bid to sign Sporting Lisbon winger Joelson Fernandes, according to a report
Arsenal have launched a £13.6m bid for Sporting Lisbon winger Joelson Fernandes, according to a report in Portugal.
Portuguese media outlet TVI 24, as quoted by The Sun, is reporting that the Gunners have submitted an offer for the highly-rated Portuguese teenager ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window.
The same article states that Arsenal are interested in the Portugal winger, who has been dubbed the ‘next Cristiano Ronaldo’ following his promising performances for Sporting Lisbon.
According to the same story, the Gunners have stepped up their interest with a bid that they hope will be sufficient to land the 17-year-old’s signature ahead of the 2020-21 Premier League season.
The Portuguese media outlet add that Fernandes is unwilling to commit his future to Sporting Lisbon despite the European giants offering the teenage forward a new contract.
The story reveals that Mikel Arteta is an admirer of the Sporting Lisbon prospect and that Fernandes should be available for a reasonably small fee.
The Sporting Lisbon number 96 made four appearances for the Portuguese club in Liga NOS in the current campaign.
Fernandes has made three appearances for the Portugal Under-17 side as the Sporting Lisbon forward continues to work his way through his country’s youth system.
The reported Arsenal target has also been linked with German sides Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig in the summer transfer window.
Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger revealed that his biggest regret during his time in charge of the north London side was turning down the chance to sign Ronaldo.
Speaking in May 2018 ahead of him stepping down as Arsenal manager, the French head coach revealed that the Gunners were offered the chance to sign Ronaldo before he ended up at Manchester United.
“The obvious player (that we missed out on) that comes to mind is (Cristiano) Ronaldo,” Wenger said. “He was here with his mother and we were very close. Then Man United came in and they had Carlos Queiroz at the time, who was their coach. United played against Sporting Lisbon and Ronaldo was outstanding and they signed him.
“You could imagine at the time what it would have been like to have Thierry Henry and Ronaldo together… That would certainly have changed a little bit the history of my stay here as well.”
Arsenal will take on Chelsea FC in the FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday.
