'Nani Reveals What He Told Bruno Fernandes Before Move To Manchester United

Former Manchester United winger Nani has revealed he told Bruno Fernandes to sign for the Red Devils and not rivals Manchester City ahead of his move to Old Trafford.

Fernandes was linked with a move to United last January and those links continued throughout pre season but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team didn't make a move for him.

Instead they left it to the January window this year to sign him from Sporting and he's made an instant impact with two goals and two assists in four league games and another goal in two Europa League games.

United may have their former winger to thank for the signing with fellow ex Sporting alumnus Nani telling Goal, "As soon as I saw the news, the possibilities, I told him, 'Don't choose Manchester City, don't choose any other team. You choose Man Utd!'

"After a couple of months, he moved to Manchester United and I was so, so happy because that advice and his choice were matching.

"It was beautiful because the moment I saw him play there, being the best player, scoring goals. It's nice when it works like that."

Nani and Fernandes played together at Sporting. Image: PA Images

As well as United and City, the 25-year-old was also linked with moves to Barcelona and Spurs but the stories with the Old Trafford side involved were always the strongest links.

Nani, who moved back to Sporting from United on loan in 2014/15 and again for a season in 2018/19, said that he could see Fernandes' talent from the beginning.

"That moment I was playing with him, I saw so much quality and so much potential in that player," the Orlando City star told Goal.

"One day in a conversation with him I just motivated him to train a little bit harder because that was the only thing that he needed in that moment for him to compete at the high level in the Premier League or Spain or a different league.

"My advice, at that time, I told him that the best move for him was to go to England because his style of game is the one they appreciate a lot and he will score beautiful goals as he liked to do with shooting from long range and making the fans crazy."

The advice about shooting from distance certainly reached him well as the Sampdoria midfielder scored a brilliant equaliser last weekend from outside the box.

On Sunday he may be a bit closer to finding out if Nani's advice on which club to choose was correct as United host rivals City in the Manchester derby.

Can Fernandes be a game winner against Pep Guardiola's side?