Bruno Fernandes: The free-scoring midfielder carrying the weight of Sporting on his shoulders
If there's one Portuguese midfielder your club should be signing this summer, it's Bruno Fernandes.
The attacking midfielder has been simply irresistible all season so far, scoring for fun as he has well and truly cemented himself as Sporting's most instrumental player.
Having rescinded his contract last summer after the violence at Alcochete, there were real concerns that Sporting would lose the midfield maestro for nothing.
However, after president Bruno de Carvalho eventually left the club, Fernandes rejoined - and my word, what an impact he's had this campaign.
Not only has he become a crucial component of the team, playing in all bar one of their matches this season (against Belenenses, for which he was suspended) across all competitions, Fernandes has also become a leader in the dressing room, and has captained the side on several occasions so far this campaign.
But the 24-year old has offered so much more than leadership. His work rate and passion on the pitch has been on show game after game, and one dreads to think where Sporting would be in the league standings without the 11-time international.
Sporting's version of Bernardo Silva, one could say, has so far scored a mind-blowing 22 goals this season, in addition to picking up 11 assists, across just 39 matches.
It means he has directly contributed to a goal once every 100 minutes, a truly extraordinary return for an attacking midfielder which doesn't even illustrate the impact he has on the team in other areas of the game. His composure on the ball, his passing, his ability to control the game and lead from the front, he is the perfect player to have playing just behind the striker.
Sporting, it should be said, are only 4th in the league standings, 9 points off leaders Sporting and only 7 points above Moreirense. Without Bruno Fernandes, who has been directly involved in 40% of all Sporting's goals this season, one can be sure they'd be much further off the league leaders, perhaps even struggling to maintain top 4.
There have been reports from outside Portugal that the '30 million pound' rated midfielder is a target of the likes of Liverpool - although no doubt there'd be uproar if those above let him go for that sum of money.
And any expectation for a summer move could be misplaced, with Fernandes recently saying; "I have returned [to Sporting] and I want to win more titles. I know the size of Sporting and I am not satisfied with just two League Cups." Of course, a lot can change in the next 6 months.
