A year after selling Bruno Fernandes to Manchester United, Sporting CP have gone up another gear without the Portugal international.
Fernandes joined United when they were sixth in the Premier League and has had a transformative effect on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side.
The former Udinese man has become United's talisman and main creative source, scoring 28 goals and registering 17 assists.
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It would have made sense for Sporting's level to dip after selling their best player but quite the opposite has happened.
Nine points clear of rivals Benfica and Porto after 16 games, the Lisbon outfit are on course to win their first Primeira Liga title since 2002.
Last year Sporting finished the season in fourth place, securing a Europa League qualifying spot but finishing 22 points behind champions Porto.
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The difference in six months or has been nothing short of incredible.
What's more, Pedro Goncalves, the man who replaced Fernandes, has been a revelation.
With 12 goals this term, the 22-year-old is the league's top scorer and averages a goal every 98 minutes. At one stage of the campaign, he scored ten in six games for the leaders.
The former Wolves player was snapped up for a reported £5.85 million, joining from Famalicão on a five-year deal.
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He has a release clause of £53 million and Record say United have shown interest in him. Pairing he and Fernandes together really would be something special.
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