Bruce fears Man Utd will make a huge transfer mistake amid rumours ‘frightening’ star could be sold
Steve Bruce thinks Man Utd will be making a huge transfer mistake if they choose to sell Bruno Fernandes in the summer transfer window.
The Red Devils had a terrible Premier League campaign with Erik ten Hag’s side finishing in eighth place, while they were knocked out of Europe before Christmas after finishing bottom of their Champions League group.
Man Utd rescued their season with an unexpected victory over arch-rivals Man City in the FA Cup final at Wembley late last month but Ten Hag’s future is still up in the air.
Fernandes suggested before the final that he could leave Man Utd depending on the club’s stance on keeping him but he has since been quoted as saying that he wants to stay.
There has been speculation that Bayern Munich and Barcelona are interested in his services with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano confirmed that talks have taken place with the Portugal international’s agent.
When asked about rumours surrounding Fernandes’ future, Bruce told talkSPORT: “He cannot leave.
“Look, for me, the one shining light in the last few years at Manchester United has been Bruno.
“I mean, he plays with huge intensity. Yes, he gets a bit frustrated at times and can be a bit petulant at times, but in terms of a footballer, just look at the statistics…
“He plays 50 games a season and he scores 15 to 20 goals a season and is at the top of the assists too. He is a top, top player… you don’t want to be losing him.”
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Red Devils legend Bruce reckons the Man Utd captain needs to get rid of the “big weight on his shoulders” and play with more freedom next season.
On Fernandes, Bruce added: “We saw again in the FA Cup final what a talent he is. He is a fantastic footballer who played a wonderful pass for the second goal.
“He has got frightening ability and he seems a little bit lost at the moment and needs to find that spark again and play with the same energy and enthusiasm which we saw when he broke through because he was a breath of fresh air.
“He has got a lot to offer, but it looks as if towards the end and towards the middle of the season, he has got a big weight on his shoulders and he needs to get rid of that and play with that freedom again.”
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