Liverpool make £40m bid for Manchester United target Bruno Fernandes?

Liverpool have made a £40m offer for in-demand Sporting Lisbon midfielder Bruno Fernandes, according to a report.

Fernandes's form during the 2018-19 campaign is understood to have caught the attention of a number of Europe's biggest clubs, with particular interest from the Premier League.

Manchester United have been heavily linked with a move for the 24-year-old, while Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City are also thought to be monitoring his situation.

However, Portuguese outlet Correio da Manha claims that Liverpool have now tried to steal a march on their domestic rivals by submitting a bid of almost £40m.

The European champions' approach is some way short of Sporting's valuation of Fernandes, though, and the Portuguese outfit are expected to reject the offer.

The Portugal international, who helped his country to UEFA Nations League glory earlier this month, has a release clause of £86m in his contract, which does not expire until 2023.

Fernandes scored 29 goals and created 17 more for Sporting across all competitions last season.