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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020
LONDON (AFP) - Portugal mid ielder Bru-
no Fernandes completed his move from
Sporting Lisbon to Manchester United on
Thursday night, claiming he was inspired to
switch to Old Traord by compatriot Cris-
tiano Ronaldo.
The 25-year-old has signed a ive-and-a-
half year contract with an option to extend
for a further year.
The long-anticipated deal, with an initial
fee of EUR55 million, was inalised after Fer-
nandes, who has 19 international caps, agreed
personal terms and passed a medical.
The fee could rise to EUR80 million with
add-ons.
Fernandes said he was delighted to be
joining the club, who are ifth in the Premier
League table.
“My love of Manchester United really start-
ed when I used to watch Cristiano Ronaldo
play and ever since then I have been a big fan
of this great club,” Fernandes explained of his
Portuguese teammate who played for United
from 20032009.
“For me, to now play for Manchester Unit-
ed feels incredible.
“I have worked hard to get to this moment
and I can promise the fans that I will give ev-
erything for the badge to help bring us more
success and trophies.”
United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ad-
mitted Fernandes had been a long-term target.
“We have been tracking Bruno for many
months and everyone here has been tremen-
dously impressed with all his attributes and
what he will bring to this team,” he said.
“Most importantly he is a terri ic human
being with a great personality and his leader-
ship qualities are clear for all to see.
“Bruno’s goals and assists stats speak for
themselves. He will be a fantastic addition to
our team and he will help us push on in the
second part of the season.”
United are badly in need of mid ield rein-
forcements due to long-term injuries to Paul
Pogba and Scott McTominay, while Marcus
Rashford’s back problem has also left Solsk-
jaer short of options in attack.
LIVERPOOL (AFP) - Jurgen Klopp steadfastly
refuses to allow Liverpool’s long-awaited Pre-
mier League title celebrations to start, but the
opening month of 2020 has underlined the
Reds’ mastery over their rivals.
Reds boss Klopp could see his side move
an astonishing 22 points clear of their closest
rivals and defending champions Manchester
City on the opening weekend of February,
should they beat Southampton and Pep Guar-
diola’s team lose at Tottenham 24 hours later.
But the German played down the mount-
ing tally of statistical landmarks after his
side became the quickest ever to rack up 70
points in a season following their comfortable
20 win at West Ham on Wednesday.
“I’m not too much concerned about re-
cords,” he said following Wednesday’s 20
win at West Ham.
“We had a (points) record at Dortmund (in
201112) andBayernbeat it the next season. I don’t
want to be boring. We just don’t feel like that.”
At the corresponding stage last season,
after 24 games, Klopp enjoyed a ive-point
advantage over Guardiola although February
and early March saw his side held to costly
draws by West Ham, Manchester United and
Everton as they were overhauled by City.
Since that goalless draw with their local ri-
vals Liverpool have dropped just two points in
the league, at Manchester United last October.
Southampton visit An ield tonight seek-
ing to become the irst club since Leicester,
just over a year previously, to take a point
from An ield.
The almost inevitable crowning of Liverpool
as England’s best is being eagerly awaited by
the club’s supporters given it’s been 30 years
since their side were champions of England.
Victory against the Saints would mark
a 20
th
consecutive home league win for the
Reds, matching City’s run between 2011 and
2012, and leave them six home wins short of
becoming the irst club in Premier League his-
tory to record a perfect home record.
February could also see Liverpool set a new
mark for most consecutive Premier League
victories - currently the 18 set by City in 2017.
Liverpool are also within sight of match-
ing one of the game’s most impressive
statistical feats; the 49 unbeaten league
games amassed by Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’
of 2003/04.
Klopp’s current 41-game unbeaten run be-
gan after defeat against City 12 months back,
and Liverpool could reach the 49-game mark
against Guardiola’s side on April 4.
Should they continue in their current im-
perious form, Liverpool are also destined to
set a bigger winning margin than even that
amassed by the 2017/18 City team.
City won that league title by 19 points, their
100 points leaving them with an 18-point cush-
ion over second-placed Manchester United.
At the current rate of point collection
being shown by City and Liverpool, the
Merseysiders would end the season 30
points clear of their rivals with a final tally
of 111 points.
It would comfortably set a new record for
the highest points tally in Premier League his-
tory, currently the 100 which City set in 2018.
Bruno Fernandes hails
Ronaldo influence
in Man Utd move
Fernandes oers a goal threat, having
scored 63 goals in 137 appearances for Sport-
ing since returning to his homeland after
spells with Udinese and Sampdoria in Italy.
There had been mounting pressure on
United’s Executive Vice-Chairman Ed Wood-
ward to land at least one marquee name dur-
ing the January transfer window.
Woodward, who has overseen the club’s
poor recruitment over the past seven years,
had been the target of the fans’ anger in a 20
home defeat by Burnley last week.
United are an incredible 36 points behind
runaway leaders Liverpool and six points
adrift of the Champions League places.
Their chances of a top-four inish will de-
pend greatly on how they fare in their next
two league games at home to Wolves tonight
and then away to fourth-placed Chelsea on
February 17.
The Europa League oers another po-
tential route into next season’s Champions
League and Fernandes will be eligible to
feature for United when that competition re-
turns next month, despite already playing for
Sporting in the group stages.
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with new signing Bruno Fernandes.
PHOTO: MANUTD
Klopp plays down record-breaking
Reds as title looms near
Liverpool’s head coach Jurgen Klopp reacts on the sideline; and Liverpool’s Virgil Van Dijk celebrates with teammates. PHOTOS: AP
BERLIN (AFP) - Paco Alcacer on Thursday
became the victim of Erling Braut Haa-
land’s spectacular start at Borussia Dort-
mund as the Spain striker left to join Villar-
real, the German club com irmed.
The 26-year-old Alcacer reportedly
cost the Spanish league side EUR30 mil-
lion, including bonus payments, after
signing a deal until 2025 to return to Spain
after only 18 months in Germany.
“We would like to thank Paco Alcac-
er for his performance in the Dortmund
jersey and wish him good health and
maximum sporting success in the fu-
ture,” said Dortmund’s Sports Director
Michael Zorc.
The injury-prone striker joined Dort-
mund on loan from Barcelona in August
2018 and made a lying start with seven
goals in his irst four games.
His transfer was made permanent last
February when the German club paid
EUR23 million for him, but his form has
since dipped sharply and he has been
blighted by injury.
His prospects of holding down a start-
ing place nose-dived after Norwegian
wunderkind Haaland, 19, scored ive goals
in his irst two games since joining last
month from Salzburg for EUR20 million.
Alcacer’s transfer means money is
immediately available to sign Emre Can
from Juventus.
Earlier, head coach Lucien Favre was
cautious as “no inal decision has been
taken” for 26-year-old defensive mid-
ielder Can, who has made 25 appear-
ances for Germany.
German magazine
Kicker
predicts
Can’s transfer would be worth around
EUR23 million to Juventus.
Dortmund host Union Berlin tonight
looking to avenge “the bad memory”,
as Favre called it, of their shock 31 de-
feat in the capital when the clubs met
for the irst time in Germany’s top light
last August.
Dortmund confirms
Alcacer exit, Can
poised to join