The first Fernandes to the Premier League deal this January transfer window isn’t Bruno Fernandes to Manchester United, but Gedson Fernandes to Tottenham Hotspur. The 21-year-old attacking midfielder, who has been linked with United, and also Chelsea and West Ham, becomes the first signing of the Jose Mourinho era at Tottenham.
“We are delighted to announce that we have reached agreement for the 18-month loan of Gedson Fernandes from Benfica with an option to make the transfer permanent,” reads a club statement.
“The midfielder will wear the number 30 shirt for the remainder of this season.”
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— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) January 15, 2020
“I’m very happy to be here today — I make my dream a reality,” reads a statement attributed to Fernandes.
“For me, it’s one big dream to come to this big club. I will try to give my best for the club every day, in every training session and in every game and I will try to help the team wherever I can, working hard every day for this shirt.
“I have no words to say about the stadium. I’ve never seen anything like this — it’s unbelievable.”
The Portugese international has fallen out of favor at Benfica, but he’s a very welcome addition to White Hart Lane. With Moussa Sissoko out for a prolonged period of time and Christian Eriksen moving closer to a move away (rumored to be Inter Milan), depth is very much lacking at the position right now.
Spurs are fading from the top four race fast, and given all the injuries they’re dealing with, reinforcements were badly needed. While Fernandes is young, he’s still rated very highly and brings a lot of potential.
If the deal is to be made permanent down the road, then the belief is his transfer fee would be in the region of £60 million.
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