Why Manchester United are ‘reluctant’ to offer Bruno Fernandes a long-term deal amid skipper’s uncertainty

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·20 de maio de 2024

Why Manchester United are ‘reluctant’ to offer Bruno Fernandes a long-term deal amid skipper’s uncertainty

Much has been made of Bruno Fernandes’ future at Manchester United in recent weeks, with speculation suggesting he’d be open to embarking on a new venture elsewhere.

He addressed the rumours himself following the Red Devils’ final home game of the campaign – a 3-2 win over Newcastle United last Wednesday – telling Sky Sports: “I don’t want to be a player that the club doesn’t want to have. If for some reason, they don’t want to have me, I will go. But if they want me, I will stay.”

Vídeos OneFootball

As expected, Erik ten Hag has also publicly affirmed his desire to keep hold of Fernandes, whom he made captain prior to the second season of his tenure.

The 29-year-old is believed to be attracting interest from European giants such as Bayern Munich and Inter Milan, and at this stage of his career, adding more major trophies to his honours list will undoubtedly be playing on his mind as United kickstart another period of a much-needed rebuild with INEOS at the reins.

Fernandes will continue to be the talisman at the heart of the side no matter who’s in charge at Old Trafford, with his current deal scheduled to expire in 2026 – although the club do have the option of extending it for an additional year.

The latest on Fernandes’ future

Manchester World reports that the fan-favourite ‘would be interested’ in seeing his terms upgraded to reflect his integral role in the team, the same way Marcus Rashford was rewarded with a lucrative new contract last summer that saw his wages increased to around £300,000 per week.

As it stands, the skipper ranks behind Casemiro, Raphael Varane (leaving in June), Rashford, Anthony Martial (leaving in June) and Mason Mount by pocketing £240,000 per week, yet there’s a strong case for Fernandes being the most important out of the mix.

However, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his entourage are keen on slashing the eye-watering wage bill and reducing ‘overall spending’, making it highly unlikely that Fernandes will see his salary bumped anytime soon.