Watford sporting director Cristiano Giaretta has recalled signing Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes for a knockdown €40,000.

Giaretta was in charge of Novara in Italy at the time.

He told the Watford Observer: “I was the only sporting director in Italy who went out and signed this young guy from Portugal for €40,000.

“When I went from Novara to Udinese, I took Bruno Fernandes with me because it was clear he was an amazing player.

"I think we paid €2.5million for him. A few years later, Bruno Fernandes signed for Manchester United in a deal that, with bonuses, was worth in total 100 million euros.

“Sometimes the deals work out. Other times, for many reasons, they don't. Fernandes' rock-solid mentality as integral to his rise as his supreme technical ability.

“And that is because it is impossible to control all the variables in football. If you think you can then you are silly, because you cannot.

“When you watch a player, that is not enough, because you don't know what is in the brain of the player. Once you sign the player and you are working with them, then you know more about what is going on inside the brain of that player. At that point you will start to know if you did well or not."