Bruno Fernandes agreement update as Man Utd sent ‘warning’ over new contract

Man Utd are ready to “put all of their focus into reaching an agreement” with Bruno Fernandes over a new contract, according to reports.

Fernandes admitted in December last year that it “hurt” him that Man Utd wanted him to leave for Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal in the last summer market.

Man Utd were tempted at the time to take the huge potential fee on offer but Fernandes decided against a move to Saudi Arabia.

Since then, it has become even more clear how important Fernandes is to Man Utd with the Portugal international contributing nine goals and 21 assists in his 35 Premier League appearances last season.

Fernandes attracted interest over the summer with the Daily Telegraph revealing recently that Galatasaray were willing to double his wages and offer Man Utd €50m for this services.

In response, Man Utd reportedly offered Fernandes a new contract in August but the first proposal was apparently ‘rejected’, according to journalist Sacha Tavolieri.

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Tavolieri wrote at the time on X: ‘Manchester United have offered Bruno Fernandes a new contract, but the Portuguese midfielder has rejected the proposal. The offer included only €500k more per year, which was not enough to convince Fernandes to extend. As things stand, Bruno Fernandes could leave Manchester United as a free agent next summer.’

However, former Man Utd chief scout Mick Brown has revealed that sealing a new contract for Fernandes is still something the club “want to do and something they have been working on”.

Brown told Football Insider: “There was no way Bruno Fernandes was going to be allowed to leave Man United.

“It’s frustrating that nobody came out to completely squash the rumours, they left it open to speculation, which ultimately doesn’t help because there has been interest.

“When things are left open to speculation, the vultures circle, and then it becomes increasingly difficult to keep hold of him.

“But Man United do not want to let him go any time soon, he’s a crucial part of everything Michael Carrick is trying to do, and will be integral to any success they have.

“So now, they have to be doing everything in their power to get him tied down to a new contract and ensure he stays at Old Trafford.

“It would dismiss all of the speculation about his future, and ensure he keeps playing a crucial role as a Man United player long-term, not just in the immediate future.

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“Man United sources tell me, it is something the club want to do and something they have been working on, and now that the transfer window is closed, they have to put all of their focus into reaching an agreement.”

Former Man Utd midfielder Gordon Strachan has now warned the Red Devils that they cannot offer Fernandes whatever he wants during contract negotiations, using former Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah as an example.

Strachan told Goal: “They said that with Salah – ‘must sign him’. Jamie Carragher, ‘give him everything he wants’.

“You can’t do that, give him everything he wants. He wants £600,000 a week. No, we can’t do that because if we give him £600,000 a week, the guys underneath will be wanting £250,000, £300,000, £400,000. You just can’t go, ‘give him what he wants, must sign him’.

“What needs to happen in the team to make this not such a big deal is to be a better team, a more rounded team. That then takes away the fear of losing Bruno Fernandes. But I can see the fear right now because everything that happens at Man United is through this guy. Everything.

“I’ve got to say, if I was a player at Man United, I’d be feeling a bit embarrassed myself. You know, ‘how we can we let this fella do everything?’ It’s a bit like us with Bryan Robson. He was doing everything but at least we tried to help him, got a few goals.

“But it must be hard for him. I would like to see the rest of the players become a more rounded team that doesn’t become all about Bruno Fernandes. You can’t just can’t say, ‘let’s sign him’. What contract? To 36, 37?

“As I said, Mo Salah should be the warning for this type of player, this type of moment in a career. Give him everything he wants, then you go, ‘oh, we shouldn’t have done that because he’s not had a great season’. But it was always coming. You just cannot say, ‘give him what you want’. It just doesn’t work that way.”

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