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Tottenham may benefit from player being attacked by supporters

By Rucker Haringey

LISBON, PORTUGAL - MARCH 08: Bruno Fernandes of Sporting Lisbon in action during the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 first leg match between Sporting Lisbon and Viktoria Plzen at Estadio Jose Alvalade on March 8, 2018 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images)
LISBON, PORTUGAL - MARCH 08: Bruno Fernandes of Sporting Lisbon in action during the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 first leg match between Sporting Lisbon and Viktoria Plzen at Estadio Jose Alvalade on March 8, 2018 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images) /
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The summer transfer window is a funny business. Tottenham may actually sign Bruno Fernandes because he was attacked by his own fans.

You never know what sort of bizarre event can tip a transfer race in the favour of one club or another. The bizarre choice of Sporting CP ultras to attack the team after they failed to achieve Champions League qualification could actually increase the chances of Bruno Fernandes heading to Tottenham this summer.

Per reports in Portugal, ultras stormed the club’s Academy on Tuesday to express their displeasure at being relegated to Europa League competition next season. Bas Dost was actually injured in the melee. Fernandes escaped without suffering any physical harm, but he’s clearly suffering mentally.

He’s already telling anyone that will listen that his time in Portugal is up. Sporting have a release clause in his contract but it’s for a whopping £87 million. It’s unclear whether or not the club will let him leave for less because he is legitimately concerned about his personal safety.

If they do, you can expect Tottenham to try to swoop in and take advantage. They won’t be the only club in the race, but they may be the most motivated. Mauricio Pochettino is putting a lot of pressure on Daniel Levy to make a marquee signing before the club move into their new stadium next season. Fernandes might not be a household name in England, but he’s well-established on the European stage.

Specifically, the 23-year-old attacking midfielder really acquitted himself well during Champions League and Europa League play this season. He had a goal and an assist in six Champions League matches en route of earning a Whoscored.com player rating average of 7.07.

His Europa League performances were even more mesmerizing. Fernandes scored three goals and notched assists in those six matches. Predictably, he posted an even more impressive Whoscored.com rating of 8.00 in those matches.

The real question for Spurs, aside from price, is whether or not there’s room for both Fernandes and Christian Eriksen on the same pitch. Both players are capable of contributing out wide, but they do their best work in the middle of the pitch. Spending a massive fee to bring Fernandes to North London might not be the most efficient use of Tottenham’s transfer resources.

If Pochettino believes he can fill a role deeper in his midfield, then signing Fernandes starts to make a lot more sense. He played that role some for Sporting this season with pretty solid results. Like Eriksen, he’s never going to be an overly physical defender, but he is capable of controlling the match with his passing.

Next: 3 players most likely to leave Tottenham this summer

If Tottenham are able to sign Bruno Fernandes this summer, they’ll owe Sporting CP’s ultras a debt of gratitude. Their attack on their attacking star might be the final straw that sends him to the Premier League.

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