Manchester United make early move to sign Liga NOS duo

Manchester United have made their move to sign Sporting midfielder Bruno Fernandes and Benfica wonderkid Joao Felix, reports the London Evening Standard.

Sweeping changes are expected at Old Trafford at the end of the season and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer intends to bolt out of the gates when the transfer window opens.

Solskjaer’s former United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, made a conscious effort to get the bulk of his summer transfer window shopping done as quickly as possible and now the Norwegian is set to follow suit.

The 46-year-old wants to strengthen every area of his squad for next season and has already identified Fernandes and Felix as top transfer targets, with a combined £150m fee mooted for the pair.

Fernandes has enjoyed another eye-catching campaign for Sporting, while Felix has emerged as one of the most sought after talents in Europe this season, with Manchester City and Real Madrid also keen.

United still need to sign a replacement for Marouane Fellaini, who moved to China at the start of the year, while further reinforcement will be required with Ander Herrera and Paul Pogba both intent on leaving.

Despite the fact United set to miss out on a top-four finish this season, Solskjaer is confident he will be able to convince top talent around the continent to move to Old Trafford with the promise of a return to Champions League football as quickly as possible.

Fernandes is the highest WhoScored rated player in Liga NOS this season (7.82), having scored 16 goals and provided 12 assists. In fact, only one player has scored more goals than the 24-year-old and only one other player has provided more assists.

Felix, meanwhile, has enjoyed a remarkable campaign at the age of just 19. The teenager has played a direct hand in 20 goals (13 goals, seven assists) in 23 league appearances.