This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
Jose Mourinho issued an emphatic rebuttal when he was asked about the possibility of Tottenham Hotspur signing Bruno Fernandes.
He said that he would “definitely say no” to the prospect of signing the Sporting Lisbon ace, who was a target throughout the summer transfer window, per The Daily Mail.
What a refreshing change for Spurs.
While this is a player who could have joined the club in the most recent transfer window – Sporting’s president confirmed a bid was tabled – they appear to have moved on. It probably helps that Fernandes has actually signed a new contract at the Portuguese club.
But at last fans have some clarity.
One only needs to do a cursory Google of the search terms “Pochettino” and “transfer” to see how non-committal he used to be.
There would be an “I don’t know about transfers” here and an outright refusal to answer the question there and it led to a constant media frenzy around who Spurs could sign because Pochettino never moved to deny any rumours.
Here, with Mourinho, he’s already done it twice. First, he was asked about the possibility of a reunion with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, with whom he worked at Inter Milan and Manchester United. He said it would make “no sense” to bring him into a club that already boasts Harry Kane.
Now, with Fernandes, he has killed the speculation with three words.
Money talks: How much did Levy pay for each of these Spurs stars?
And while it may be a blow for some supporters who believe Fernandes would be a good signing – he has 11 goals to his name already this season – at least there is a clear line of thought that everyone can follow.
Too often, Pochettino spoke in riddles, giving almost nothing away and actually leaving more questions than answers when he talked.
Mourinho is the straight-talking antithesis of that and it makes a marked difference in his interactions with the media.
His straightforwardness is likely to win him friends in north London; long may it continue.
Meanwhile, Spurs fans have reacted to a report on Christian Eriksen’s future.
