by Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes could be on his way out of Old Trafford this summer. It may seem hard to believe, but there is a lot of interest in the player.
Sportsman Bayern Munich are understood to be interested in buying the Portuguese midfielder and the 29-year-old is willing to move away from the Premier League club. It is understood that players in the squad are worried that Fernandes will leave at the end of the season.
United would prefer to keep Fernandes at the club with him under contract until 2026. But, as we have seen before, if a player wants to leave they are likely to find their way.
READ MORE: United players doubt Fernandes
READ MORE: Varane sends a message to INEOS
It has been reported that Cristiano Roanldo has urged his club Al-Nassr to make a move for his Portuguese counterpart. Among the news about their expected departure, the Manchester Evening News he asked his United writers if they would sell the skipper or not.
Tyrone Marshal
In an ideal world Fernandes isn’t going anywhere this summer, but the world United live in at the moment is far from ideal. First of all let’s look at it from the player’s point of view.
He has been a consistent performer since joining in January 2020 and has been the club’s best player in that time. He spent his peak years with United and in a turbulent period his standards hardly dropped. For that reason he has a Carabao Cup medal and in his last 30 seasons he may not play in Europe at all. Can you blame him if he wants out?
United could be for sale as he is one of the few assets in this squad that can attract a good fee. His basic fee has also been paid in terms of amortization, so it would all count as profit and will give a good indication of how much the club can spend this summer. There are positive things to sell if the offer is too good to refuse.
But his contribution would be missed as a record of 143 goals or assists in 230 games. Maybe Mason Mount could fill that role but he would have to step up to the plate in a big way.
George Smith
Fernandes’ importance to United cannot be understated. He is not only their leader, he is also their chief architect.
Without him against Crystal Palace and Arsenal recently, United have struggled to flex their muscles inside the final third, creating very few clear-cut opportunities. They registered just four shots on target during those two games.
Fernandes’ creativity has been largely wasted and United do not have a midfielder with the same inventive skills as him. Despite the club needing to renew their squad this summer, they should be doing their best to keep Fernandes and continue to use him as a key figure.
In the Premier League alone, he has made 17 direct contributions this season, scoring 10 goals and creating seven. To achieve that in a team that lacked consistency and struggled to produce high-level performances is something to be recognised.
Of course, every player comes with a price, and United should consider cashing in on the 29-year-old if they are presented with a lucrative, explosive offer. Without one, though, the Reds shouldn’t even consider letting him go.
Jack Flintham
It would be a disaster if United lost Fernandes in the summer. I have to admit that I had my doubts about the Portuguese’s mentality at the start of the campaign but he has really grown as a captain at Old Trafford.
Without him on the pitch last Monday, United really struggled and he has clearly grown into a leader in that dressing room. The Reds are desperate for a move at the end of this season but it looks like they could be losing not just one good character in Varane but another in Fernandes.
With two years left on his current deal, you’d expect United to be in a strong negotiating position if Bayern made their interest formal. But they may struggle to get much more than £60 million for his services.
For that money, I struggle to see where United could find a suitable replacement who offers what Fernandes does. This is certainly a concern for INEOS and Erik ten Hag.
Isaac Seelochan
I have always believed that Fernandes is a good leader and he often does not get the credit he deserves. The Portugal international is way down the pecking order when it comes to perceived cultural problems in the United dressing room.
But at 29, there is also the question of whether he will start to decline and United cannot afford to have more players. Injuries may have started to pile up after he has lost United’s last two games, having never been absent through injury before.
However, after another solid campaign in which he scored 15 goals and provided 11 assists, there is no clear evidence that Fenandes’ performance is waning. There is an argument to be made that he was the club’s best player during a miserable season.
Most fans are expecting a significant clearance this summer, which may be easier said than done with so many players on long contracts. Unfortunately, with only two years left on his current contract, it may be time for United to cash in on their captain while they can still get any transfer value from him.
It would be a difficult and controversial decision but a potential new manager should be allowed to start over. It wouldn’t make much sense to build a team around a player who could leave for nothing in the summer of 2026.
Tom Coley
There is no reason why United should consider selling Fernandes. Where would they be without it? His game winning ability is what has kept them in the top half this season. That is a very difficult place to lose.
With Harry Kane at Tottenham we have seen that turnarounds are possible even without star players but United’s heart is less stable. With Raphael Varane leaving and Casemiro’s future under scrutiny, it would be a significant error of judgment for a group not to leave Fernandes behind. Good luck to whoever has to manage that.
Despite questions about his attitude there is an innate desire and demand to win with Fernandes that United need more of. It is hardly his fault that the recruitment around him has not been up to standard and there is a sense that the club have let him down because he did not match his ambitions.
In modern football, there needs to be full buy-in and integration. Fernandes hasn’t always been a man to show this but if given the right environment there is plenty of reason to believe he could be a mainstay rather than an outcast.
Given that there are still years left on his contract and he is still in the early years of what can be considered, anything below £80million for Fernandes should be laughed out the door. With no evidence yet of how Ineos will fare in the transfer market there will be understandable questions as to whether they can put any money Fernandes might have to good use regardless.
