Manchester United target Bruno Fernandes could not hold back the tears when he was subbed off during Sporting Lisbon’s pre-season friendly against Valencia.
The 24-year-old midfielder, who has been heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford in recent days, also appeared to wave goodbye to the crowd after the game.
Fernandes has become one of the most coveted players in the world after scoring a record-breaking 31 goals in the Portuguese top-flight last season.
And while the Red Devils are yet to agree a fee with Sporting, the Portugal midfielder’s tears on Sunday night suggest he may have played his final game for the Primeira Liga club.
Fernandes grew increasingly emotional after he was replaced by Daniel Braganca in the 89th minute of Sporting’s 2-1 defeat to Valencia.
After crying in the dugout, Fernandes was visibly upset when he joined his team-mates on the pitch for what has now been interpreted as a tearful goodbye.
In the aftermath of the friendly, the midfielder could be seen wiping away tears in front of the crowd as he struggled to hide his emotions.
Sporting boss Marcel Keizer said: “We’ll see if we can keep our players and then we’ll see what we do.
“I hope he [Fernandes] stays, of course, like everyone else at Sporting, but we don’t know.”
Reports over the weekend suggested Fernandes would be flying to the UK to undergo a medical ahead of a move.
However, the Daily Express claims this is not the case, with United still negotiating a fee for the £63million-rated star.
