http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fernando-sacrifice-world-cup-dream-6677194
Fernando may sacrifice World Cup dream to secure Manchester City move
The 26-year-old midfielder saw his hopes of joining City in the last transfer window dashed as the two clubs failed to agree on a price for the Brazilian-born midfielder.
City target Fernando is prepared to sacrifice his World Cup dream in order to join the Blues in the summer.
The 26-year-old midfielder saw his hopes of joining City in the last transfer window dashed as the two clubs failed to agree on a price for the Brazilian-born midfielder.
Sources in Portugal claim that Fernando has signed a pre-contract agreement with City which would see him move to the Etihad Stadium at he end of his current contract, which expires in June, although City would not confirm or deny.
But Porto have tried to pressure the player into signing a new deal by threatening to leave him out of the team, and train alone, unless he puts pen to paper on a new deal.
They wanted to make him one of the highest paid players at the club by handing him a £2.5million signing-on fee and a contract worth £41,000 a week, but Fernando is said to have made up his mind that he wants to move to Manchester in the summer.
His agent Antonio Araujo has met with Porto president Jorge Pinto da Costa in a bid to find a compromise solution, which could involve Fernando signing a short-term deal and City paying a reduced fee for him in the summer.
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The problem for Fernando is that he is eligible to play for Portugal after becoming a naturalised citizen in December, and has been considered for a place in the national squad for the World Cup finals, even though he has played for Brazil at under-20 level.
Fernando, officially out with a knee injury at the moment, has been a key figure in Porto’s four league title wins in the last five years, and their 2011 Europa League triumph, but Porto have a history of taking a hard-line with players who do not accede to their wishes.
They have sidelined Uruguay defender Jorge Fucile, who has agitated for a move back to his homeland, for a disagreement with a coach.
