Manchester United could be at risk of losing Bruno Fernandes this summer according to a recent report.
A key player in Erik ten Hag’s lineup since the Dutch manager’s arrival at Old Trafford, Fernandes’ role at Man United rose to new heights last season when Ten Hag awarded him the club captaincy.
While this past season was a turbulent one, Fernandes proved to be one of United’s brightest stars, becoming the team’s joint-top scorer in the Premier League with 10 goals and the leader in assists with eight.
Perhaps the Portuguese playmaker’s finest moment for United last season was in the FA Cup final against Manchester City, where he exhibited strong physicality and slick passing to lift United to victory.
Since Euro 2024 got underway, Fernandes has produced several standout performances for Portugal, propelling his nation to the quarter-finals as a result.
He proved central to Portugal’s attacking performance during their 2-1 win over Czechia in the group stage, while he scored a goal in his team’s 3-0 thrashing of Türkiye.
Even as he and his side struggled to find the back of the net in 120 minutes in their round of 16 clash with Slovenia, Fernandes yet again stepped up in the ensuing penalty shootout, converting his spot kick to hand Portugal an impressive 3-0 victory.
Given how pivotal Fernandes has been to United this season, it comes as little surprise that the club reportedly offered him a contract renewal despite him being tied to the club until 2026 with a one-year option.
Previously, one would have expected one such move to be unnecessary, with Fernandes seemingly unwilling to depart Old Trafford. While Saudi Arabia were believed to be willing to fork out as much as €100 million for the United captain, his future at the club appeared certain.
“I’m happy where I am, I’m focused on Man United,” Fernandes insisted when speaking about his links to Saudi.
This is what makes the latest update in Fernandes’ transfer tale so unexpected.
TEAMtalk claimed this afternoon that Fernandes is willing to entertain offers from Saudi Arabia after all.
“Fernandes has informed the Saudi negotiator that, after Euro 2024, he will be open to listening to a proposal ready for him,” the report maintained.
While the article claimed that Fernandes prefers to remain at United, it added that the “strong pressure” from Saudi and United’s decision to keep Ten Hag as manager could sway his mind.
As the summer transfer market heats up, United will do well to recruit some top talent in an effort to bolster their squad and convince Fernandes that they are capable of change. After all, the departure of their captain is one of the few that they would desperately want to avoid.
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