Football transfer gossip, news and rumours - Manchester United 'in talks for £55m Bruno Fernandes'

The Daily Mail reports on what could be the biggest transfer deal of the Premier League January window so far. According to the report, Sporting Lisbon president Frederico Varandas was in Mayfair to negotiate a deal for midfielder Bruno Fernandes. United know that Sporting are hard to deal with and there are rumours that Marcos Rojo could be part of any deal for the 25-year-old Portuguese international.

Paper Round’s view: United are again late to the party when it comes to sorting out a transfer. They needed a midfielder before the injuries to Scott McTominay and Paul Pogba, as they need reinforcements across the pitch. That they are caught on the hoof suggests a huge lack of planning by Ed Woodward, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Mike Phelan but it is in no way a surprise.

Manchester United are not just interested in Fernandes, if the Sun is to be believed. The paper claims that United are after West Ham’s central defender Issa Diop. United have been linked with a £40 million move for the 23-year-old player, though Chelsea are believed to be interested. Tottenham could also be in the market for the defender as Jose Mourinho was keen on the player when the manager was at United.

Paper Round’s view: If Diop is able to move for just £40m and is still only 23, then he could prove to be something of a bargain. Were he to keep improving over the next few years and stay fit, then he could hold down a position in the middle of any defence in a Champions League side, something that happens only rarely these days. Whether West Ham would do a deal is another matter.

Despite those two reports, it appears that United are struggling in the transfer market, according to the Telegraph. One report in the paper suggests that United have turned their attention to the loan market in order to get players through the door. The club are struggling to attract long-term targets such as Christian Eriksen and Jadon Sancho, moves for which may have to wait until the end of the season.

Paper Round’s view: If this is true, it is another indictment of the transfer skills of Ed Woodward and Matt Judge, the two figures with most clout over transfers at Old Trafford. Injuries should not have forced the hand of the club to start panicking over the next two weeks when it was obvious since 2015 that major work was needed on the squad, and yet it is always left to the last minute.

Another club that could struggle in the transfer market is Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese is having to contend with injuries to Moussa Sissoko and Harry Kane. Despite the lack of activity, Mourinho is sanguine with the Mirror carrying these quotes: "This isn't about a list of players. January is a strange market, it's not an easy market to be in. It's a market of opportunity, a market where an opportunity arise and you have the conditions to do it or not to do it. We have to be calm and not think about the market - let the market think about us."

Paper Round’s view: Mourinho will have discussed with Daniel Levy what the plans for transfers were this winter, so there should be little discontent this winter however it plays out. Longer term, it will be interesting to see if he stays patient while he is probably outspent by his rivals around him.