Why Manchester United owe Sporting Lisbon millions after Champions League qualification

straight to your inboxManchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer empathised with Victor Lindelof following his row with Bruno Fernandes over Sevilla's winning goal in the Europa League semi-final.Fernandes and Lindelof were involved in a heated argument after Luuk de Jong pounced in the 78th minute to score the winner for Sevilla and ensure a third consecutive trophyless season for United."It was a disappointing goal to give away," Solskjaer said.

Fernandes has enjoyed a stunning Europa League campaign, first for Sporting Lisbon and then for United after his £47million January transfer to Old Trafford. He is the competition's top scorer with seven strikes and has revealed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's advice to play with freedom has helped him improve in the past few months.

straight to your inbox Bruno Fernandes admits he is flattered by comparisons with Eric Cantona but will only look back fondly on his first season with Manchester United if they win the Europa League. Fernandes joined United from Sporting Lisbon in a £68million deal in January and has been in totemic form, scoring 11 goals and creating another eight.

straight to your inboxManchester United fans have named Bruno Fernandes as their Player of the Year.Fernandes completed his long-awaited move to Old Trafford in the January transfer window and it was no coincidence United's form improved as a result.The Portuguese was a crucial part of the team that secured a third-placed finish in the Premier League - Fernandes is yet to suffer a league defeat since joining the club.Fernandes tops the Europa League scoring charts after scoring a crucial penalty

straight to your inboxFormer Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves has likened Bruno Fernandes to Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne following the club's victory in the Europa League.Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side endured a hard-fought match against FC Copenhagen in Cologne, with the Danish side taking the match to extra time.

1-0 win for United against Copenhagen in their Europa League quarter-final on Monday night. United had laboured for much of the contest in Cologne but were deserved winners over the stubborn Danish side.

straight to your inboxManchester United fans are gutted that Bruno Fernandes hasn't been nominated for the Premier League Player of the Season award.With the season finally concluded, the contenders to win the the accolade for the best player of the season were revealed on Friday.

straight to your inboxManchester United fans believe that Tahith Chong should become a permanent left-back after his impressive cameo against LASK Linz.United booked their place in the next round of the Europa League as they came from behind to beat Lask 2-1 on Wednesday night, 7-1 on aggregate.The Austrian side did go ahead through a screamer from Phillipp Wiesinger but Jesse Lingard grabbed his second goal in as many games just two minutes later to erase the minuscule chance of a

straight to your inboxManchester United star Bruno Fernandes has picks his all-time Premier League five-a-side team, using only Portuguese players.The former Sporting Lisbon midfielder has picked a special team compromising of his compatriots and it is seriously impressive.Fernandes even resisted the temptation of including himself in the starting line up, instead opting for two of the current Wolves side, two Chelsea greats and a United legend."We have such good players in the Premier League,"

United recovered from an awful start to the Premier League season to finish in third position, ahead of Chelsea and Leicester, securing Champions League qualification.And it was the addition of Fernandes, signed for £47million from Sporting Lisbon in January, that lifted the overall level in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team - according to former United striker Berbatov."The signing of Bruno Fernandes lifted the team massively," Berbatov said in his Betfair blog.

The Portuguese midfielder has made a habit of scoring goals since he arrived at United from Sporting Lisbon in January, netting 10 goals in all competitions already for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side.And he has now explained that his celebration, of sliding on his knees and covering his ears with his hands, is a copycat of his young daughter."This is a long story," he told United's official website when asked to explain.

straight to your inboxPallister responds to Maguire’s record-equalling achievement  Former Manchester United defender Gary Pallister has hailed the impact Harry Maguire has made at Old Trafford.  United signed the England international for £80million from Leicester City last summer and this season he became the first outfield United player to feature in every minute of a top-flight campaign since Pallister in 1994/95.Maguire was also named club captain by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Pallister

straight to your inboxManchester United fans want to see Bruno Fernandes and Mason Greenwood handed new squad numbers if Jadon Sancho completes a summer transfer to the club.MEN Sport understand Sancho is a priority transfer target for United who boosted their chances of landing the Borussia Dortmund star by sealing Champions League qualification with a win against Leicester on the final day of the season.

straight to your inbox Paul Scholes does not believe that qualifying for the Champions League is a 'big achievement' for Manchester United but said securing a return to European club football's top table does signify progression for the club.

straight to your inbox Alan Shearer hailed Bruno Fernandes as the key difference for Manchester United after Champions League football was secured on the final day of the Premier League season. The 2019-20 campaign was a tale of two halves for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side, with the club's form improving significantly after Fernandes' arrival from Sporting Lisbon in the January transfer window.

United beat Leicester 2-0 on the final day of the domestic campaign to wrap up a successful season, which has seen them recover from a poor start to qualify for the Champions League.Goals from Bruno Fernandes and Jesse Lingard were enough for the three points at the King Power Stadium, as United pipped the Foxes to a top four finish. Chelsea beat Wolves to seal fourth place behind Liverpool and Manchester City.

straight to your inboxOle Gunnar Solskjaer has thanked the Manchester United scouting department for recommending he sign Bruno Fernandes.Fernandes, 26, has scored 10 goals in 18 starts since his £68million mid-season transfer from Sporting Lisbon and United are unbeaten in the 14 Premier League matches Fernandes has started in.United secured Champions League qualification by finishing third with a 2-0 win at Leicester, where Fernandes struck the winner from the penalty spot.

straight to your inboxManchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has told the board what he feels the club needs to do in the transfer market after qualification for next season's Champions League was confirmed.United needed to avoid defeat against Leicester on the final day of the season to return to Europe's elite club competition, a remarkable achievement given their early season form.Goals from Bruno Fernandes and Jesse Lingard handed the Reds three points and sealed third place in the

United struck with 20 minutes remaining to make it 14 games unbeaten, a run of form that has proved enough to rescue a season that was going nowhere in January. Bruno Fernandes scored from the penalty spot to ease United's nerves for the final 20 minutes, with Anthony Martial brought down as he raced through on goal, before Jesse Lingard sealed victory with the last kick of the game after Jonny Evans was sent-off for a bad challenge on Brandon Williams.

straight to your inbox Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says the signing of Bruno Fernandes has underpinned Manchester United's unbeaten run in the Premier League. United are undefeated in their last 13 league games and their last defeat to Burnley was in the final league game before Fernandes joined from Sporting Lisbon in January.