Agent CR7: How Ronaldo helped Manchester United sign Bruno Fernandes
He may have left the Red Devils over 10 years ago, but he played a big part in United’s star signing…
It was no secret that Manchester United were tracking the then Sporting man, Bruno Fernandes, for many months.
It was a saga that went on for a while, but there’s a valid reason for this.
Bruno and CR7 are familiar with each other, having played together for Portugal.
Since the appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, subtle changes at the club have been made.
One of these changes was the recruitment policy, which has been altered in order to seek players with the right personality for the club.
During an in-depth chat with Jake Humphrey and Damian Hughes of The High Performance Podcast, Ole was asked what he was looking for when bringing a player to United.
Via Getty Images
The Norwegian said:
“Well, beyond the obvious talent and quality, people who want to learn - who are humble enough to learn and who want to implement our principles in the way we want to play.”
Ole went on to say:
“There's so many others, but respect for other people, respect for teammates.
Also, driven. You have to be driven. You have to be a winner here - we haven’t talked about winning yet and you want winners in a team like Man United.”
‘The Baby-Faced Assassin’ has clearly took huge influence from Sir Alex Ferguson, which he looks to reflect in his management style.
This can also be seen within his improved recruitment model.
This is where club legend and arguably the greatest player the game has ever seen, Cristiano Ronaldo comes in.
When Damian Hughes asked Ole about the homework that he has to do in order to “bring the right character in.”
He replied with this:
“Well obviously we’ve got the chief scouts who do all the scouting and analysis, down to the minutest detail.
Then you speak to teammates, that maybe play with them in the National Team, so obviously Cristiano was an easy one to me.”
He went on to explain how Ronaldo helped Manchester United come to a firm decision on whether to sign Bruno.
“I managed to get through to Patrice [Evra], to get hold of Cristiano and obviously his recommendation stands him in good stead”
Of course, when Cristiano Ronaldo gives his recommendation for a player, you know they are special.
United were happy with their background research on Bruno and consequently, a deal was completed the day before Deadline Day, on January 30th.
It was a deal that worked for both parties.
Bruno wanted to play for the club, having confessed that “his love for United began when he started watching Ronaldo.”
Whilst Ole reinforced his improved recruitment model in a statement made after the signing was official.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said:
“We have been tracking Bruno for many months and everyone here has been tremendously impressed with all his attributes and what he will bring to this team.Most importantly he is a terrific human being with a great personality and his leadership 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.
The winter break is coming at a perfect time for us to integrate Bruno into the squad and for him to get to know his team-mates.”
The arrival of ‘Portuguese Magnifico’ Bruno Fernandes has worked wonders for a United side that seemed to lack creativity.
Some would argue that he has single handedly carried United back into the Champions League.
Either way, it’s a signing that has bolstered United and is a testament to the importance of understanding which types of characters are coming into the club, rather than just basing the decision on raw talent.
Make sure you give your thanks to Ronaldo when you next see him, United fans.