£55m ace’s father admits Wolves interest; explains why Arsenal missed out

Follow us on Google Discover

Wolverhampton Wanderers made an approach to sign Joelson Fernandes and Arsenal offered £18 million for the Sporting Lisbon starlet but, as his father tells O Democrata, “money isn’t everything”.

If it’s an exciting young winger you’re after, there’s hardly a more suitable hunting ground than the Estadio Jose Alvalade.

Since the turn of the century, Sporting have given us Nani, Gelson Martins, Rafael Leao and a certain Cristiano Ronaldo.

And, almost two decades after Arsenal were pipped to the post by Manchester United in the race for a spotty number seven adorned with braces and those bleach-blond tips, the Gunners are trying to right that wrong by signing a player dubbed the ‘new Ronaldo’ in Lisbon.

Arsenal even made three bids for Joelson’s services before the hotly tipped wonderkid signed a new long-term contract with a £55 million release clause (A Bola).

But, according to Joelson’s father, Arsenal aren’t the only Premier League club to come knocking.

“In the meeting I had with (Sporting president Frederico) Varandas, he explained to me that when he arrived in England to close Rui Patrício’s transfer to Wolverhampton, he was confronted with the English club’s interest in Joelson,” Eusebio Mango Fernandes admits.

“He transmitted it to Nuno Espirito Santo’s club that he had no intention of selling the athlete.”

Arsenal, the report adds, offered £18 million for a teenager with just a handful of first-team games under his belt, while Liverpool, Manchester City and Ajax also expressed an interest.

But, as Eusebio Mango points out, Sporting deserve better than to have Joelson ripped from their grasp so soon.

“Despite these very tempting offers, I ended up dispensing with these invitations. I thought that in life money isn’t everything,” Fernandes’ father and agent explains.

“There is a word that is called ‘gratitude’. We are grateful to Sporting for what they gave (to Joelson).”