United Head of Corporate development Matt Judge was seen heading into the training ground on Thursday morning as rumours continue about the Sporting Lisbon playmaker.

Judge is rarely seen at the Carrington complex but was today photographed arriving in a Mercedes as talk of a transfer progresses.

Fernandes has been linked with United for some time now as the Premier League club look to add more creativity to an injury prone midfield and the 25-year-old is considered the Red Devils’ top priority in January.

The Portuguese midfielder has impressed yet again with 15 goals and 13 assists in all competitions so far this season, bringing about interest from Tottenham also.

But the shocking presence of Judge at Carrington suggests United are truly working hard to capture their man, with the chief negotiator always in charge of securing major signings.

Unlike United Executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, Judge is a very anonymous person despite his powerful role at Old Trafford.

His LinkedIn profile is scary enough with a photo and he is rarely snapped on camera at matches, but he is believed to be a major player in transfer dealings.

MySportDab understands that Fernandes’ agent Jorge Mendes was also seen in the directors’ box at Old Trafford last night during the FA Cup third round replay against Wolves.

Ed Woodward had already held talks with representatives of the Portuguese star at United’s offices.

And the Red Devils are now truly determined to sign Fernandes sooner with his last game expected to be in Sporting’s friday match against rivals Benfica.

Sporting are said to be demanding an initial payment of £60million, plus other add-ons for Fernandes.

And now the presence of Judge at Carrington suggests negotiations are progressing well, with the economics graduate primarily tasked with getting deals over the line.

More to follow…

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