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Manchester United ended a dismal season on a high with their FA Cup victory but it is clear that the club needs a major revamp if they are to close the gap to the top.
New co-owners INEOS have already announced a summer clearout and very few players are expected to be safe from the planned cull.
Bruno Fernandes, arguably the best signing of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, is also reportedly available for a transfer with Bayern Munich, Barcelona among European giants chasing his signature.
No wonder quite a few elite sides want the Portuguese. Despite a difficult campaign for the 20-time English league champions, Fernandes scored 15 goals and registered 13 assists.
Bruno’s future
Recently, The Peoples Person relayed that the Bavarian giants had no plans of going after the United club captain, increasing the Red Devils’ chances of holding on to their 29-year-old talisman.
The Guardian has shed further light on the midfield ace’s future by claiming that he wants pay parity with other high-earners and hopes that the club can match his ambitions moving forward.
Wanting higher wages considering his importance to the team is not wrong and this might well be his final contract at a big club and money is certainly a factor at this age.
And the managerial uncertainty also needs to be resolved by INEOS as it is affecting transfer decisions and also leading to confusion among players.
“Fernandes signed a new deal in April 2022 worth about £220,000 a week that runs to 2026 with the option of a further 12 months. But it is understood the Portuguese feels undervalued and wishes to be in the highest band of earners.
Bruno’s wish
“Rashford is paid a basic salary of about £365,000 a week, slightly more than Casemiro, and Sancho gets about £300,000 a week. Fernandes will be 30 in September so is conscious that his next contract should be the most lucrative of his career.
“Fernandes is also unsure about the direction of the club. United are due to clarify the future of Erik ten Hag and if the manager is sacked Fernandes wants to know who will replace him. Fernandes spelled out last month that the club’s ambitions needed to match his.”
Fernandes’ situation will be interesting to watch in the coming days. He is clearly valuable to the manager and the club but he might be the most sellable asset as well from a financial point of view.
Fans will be devastated if he leaves. The ball remains in Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s court.
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