Chapter 905: A Poaching Attempt from Real Madrid
After two years of relative quiet, Manchester United finally made a move in the summer of 2021.
On the afternoon of July 30, 2021, the club officially announced the signing of Portuguese defensive midfielder João Palhinha from Sporting CP.
Palhinha had been one of the breakout stars of the recent European Championship, performing superbly and earning a place in the tournament's Best XI — one of its greatest revelations.
At 26 years old, the Portuguese international was something of a late bloomer. A product of Sacavenense's youth system, he joined Sporting's academy in the winter of 2013 for just €40,000. Yet, it wasn't until his loan spell with Braga in the 2018–2019 season that he began to truly make his name in professional football.
The 2019–2020 campaign marked his rise. Representing Braga, he played 34 matches in the Primeira Liga and Europa League, helping the club finish third — above his parent club Sporting — and advance first from their Europa League group.
Afterward, Sporting recalled him, and under manager Rúben Amorim, Palhinha quickly became a key player. That season, he made 32 league appearances and was crucial as Sporting won their first domestic title in 19 years.
His outstanding club performances earned him a spot in Fernando Santos's Portuguese Euro squad, where he rose from substitute to starter — one of the major contributors to Portugal's title defense.
...
Palhinha's performances over the past two seasons had attracted some attention from top-five-league clubs, though only a few mid-tier sides actually made offers.
No one, however, expected Manchester United to swoop in so decisively.
The move came largely at Bruno Fernandes's urging.
As international teammates and midfield partners, Bruno knew Palhinha's abilities better than anyone.
In Bruno's eyes, Palhinha reminded him of N'Golo Kanté during his early days at Udinese.
Of course, their styles differ. Kanté is known for his extraordinary coverage and stamina, while Palhinha specializes in tackling.
Throughout the European Championship, Palhinha made at least three tackles per match — 25 in six appearances in total — making him the tournament's top tackler.
Since his rise was relatively recent and he had yet to play in one of Europe's top five leagues, his market value remained modest — about €20 million after the Euros, up from just €10 million before the tournament began.
According to reports, United signed him on a "4+1" deal — four years with an optional one-year extension. The transfer fee was £20 million plus £5 million in performance-related bonuses.
United's decision to bring in Palhinha was primarily to find a competent backup and future replacement for N'Golo Kanté. The French midfielder, now 30, had begun to enter the latter stages of his career.
Injuries were becoming more frequent.
Once remarkably durable, Kanté missed 18 matches in the 2020–2021 season — 11 of them due to injury, the rest through rotation.
Meanwhile, no other player in United's lineup could yet fill his shoes. Fred lacked the same quality, and though Jude Bellingham showed tremendous potential, he was still too young to anchor the defense.
Moreover, Bellingham's profile fit more as Bruno's future successor, not a holding midfielder.
...
By August, United had entered full pre-season mode, with Bruno returning to training.
The new campaign would start in mid-August, but the club already had two fixtures set for early August: the Community Shield and the UEFA Super Cup.
On August 2, after afternoon training, Bruno was asked to stay behind by José Mourinho and sporting director Giaretta.
"The club received a fax," Mourinho said.
"What kind of fax?" Bruno asked.
"Real Madrid sent an offer," Giaretta replied.
Bruno's face immediately grew serious. "Which player did they target? Don't tell me they still haven't given up on me?"
He knew all too well about Real Madrid's long-standing interest. Ever since his early days at Novara in Italy's Serie B, Los Blancos had been pursuing him.
But for Bruno — a lifelong Manchester United fan — their advances had never held much appeal. Time and again, he had turned them down.
That didn't discourage them. Florentino Pérez and Madrid's executives showed remarkable persistence, renewing their attempts every summer.
This wasn't media hype orchestrated to inflate his price — Real Madrid's interest was very real.
"It's not you," Mourinho said with a smirk. "Madrid can't afford you now — they're after someone else."
...
Bruno laughed.
Mourinho wasn't joking.
Bruno's current market value on Transfermarkt stood at €250 million. Given his prime age of 27, any real transfer fee would easily exceed €300 million.
While Real Madrid theoretically had enough prestige and resources to pull it off, committing that amount for a single player would cripple normal club operations.
In reality, with their current squad valuation at around €750 million — much lower since Cristiano Ronaldo's exit and the aging of key players — Madrid could hardly afford him. Bruno alone was worth nearly a third of the entire squad.
Such an imbalance might occur at small clubs, but never at elite institutions like Real Madrid — it would be unsustainable.
"So, who is it?" Bruno asked, intrigued. "Harry Kane? Mbappé? Rashford?"
He knew that since losing Ronaldo, Madrid had been searching for a reliable goal scorer, and they had long eyed United's fearsome attacking trio.
In fact, Bruno suspected that if money weren't an issue, Florentino would happily try to sign all four of their front players together.
"It's Mbappé," Mourinho said.
...
Bruno wasn't surprised.
Among United's frontline trio, Marcus Rashford was the homegrown heir — the fans' "Prince of Old Trafford." Harry Kane, while not an academy graduate, held an irreplaceable place as the team's English star striker.
That left Kylian Mbappé in the most complicated position. As a Frenchman, his post-Brexit work permit situation made his status less straightforward.
Conversely, moving to Spain offered advantages: as an EU citizen, he wouldn't occupy a non-EU roster spot.
Moreover, Madrid's current talisman Karim Benzema was also French — the two shared a strong personal relationship, and their partnership could benefit both.
Crucially, United already had potential replacements — with Mason Greenwood emerging and Riyad Mahrez providing veteran experience. On paper, the squad could survive Mbappé's departure.
Still, Bruno could tell from Mourinho and Giaretta's tone that Madrid's offer was serious — likely too lucrative to ignore.
"I disagree," Bruno said firmly. "You both know how vital Kylian is to our system. If we want to stay competitive, he's absolutely untouchable."
United might have already achieved five straight Premier League titles and four successive Champions League crowns, but Bruno was never satisfied. He wanted six and five, respectively.
...
"Could you at least hear their offer first?" Giaretta pressed, frustrated by Bruno's immediate rejection.
"No amount of money can justify selling him," Bruno replied with resolve.
Though Greenwood and Mahrez were talented, Bruno — with his knowledge of football's future — knew Mbappé was destined to become a once-in-a-generation superstar. Neither could reach his level.
"Bruno," said Mourinho after a long pause, "Real Madrid have already tabled a bid — €200 million for Mbappé."
"Yes, €200 million," added Giaretta. "And remember, that's only their opening offer."
Bruno fell silent.
He understood perfectly: the first offer was only a test. Madrid's willingness to start at €200 million showed how highly they valued Mbappé — and how much more they might be ready to pay.
(END CHAPTER)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 40 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Cortez10