‘Best’ Man Utd star ‘might be tempted’ by Real Madrid with summer decision set to have big effect

Man Utd midfielder Bruno Fernandes “might be tempted to go” if Real Madrid or Barcelona make a move for him in the summer, according to ex-Red Devils first-team coach Rene Meulensteen.

Fernandes has been one of the bright lights in recent years under Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim with the latter losing his job last month after a poor 14-month spell as Man Utd boss.

Interim head coach Michael Carrick has turned things around at Old Trafford with four wins and a draw in his first five matches in charge to get Man Utd fans dreaming of a return to the Champions League.

Despite that, there is set to be a summer of change as the Man Utd hierarchy have yet to decide on Amorim’s permanent successor, while the future of Fernandes and others is up in the air.

Fernandes has been the subject of interest from Saudi Arabian clubs in recent times but Meulensteen reckons the Portugal international is good enough to end up at Real Madrid or Barcelona this summer.

Meulensteen told BetGoat: “I think he’s very connected to United and loyal. I think there might be a case where another team, perhaps in Saudi Arabia, comes knocking with a significant amount of money because we all know the money situation at United.

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“He’s committed quite some years now to United, and he is possibly their best player for the last six seasons. What he’s contributed, even in poor moments for United, he’s the one that constantly delivered.

“If you ask me, if a team like Real Madrid or maybe Barcelona would come, he might be tempted to go and say, ‘Listen, I want to experience that.’

“But not for another Premier League team.”

Man Utd legend Paul Scholes is also concerned that the Red Devils could lose Fernandes in the summer with the lure of money in Saudi potentially convincing their captain.

Scholes told The Good, The Bad and The Football: I worry about the Saudi thing with him, because I don’t think that was far away last year and I wouldn’t be surprised if something like that came up again.

“We can’t answer for him, but I think the lure of that money might take him away to Saudi.”

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Former Man Utd midfielder Nicky Butt reckons the next manager will have “a big effect” on Fernandes’ decision.

But added: “I think it depends what manager comes in, if Michael stays or whoever the next manager that comes in will have a big effect on if Bruno stays or not.

“Last year he would have been feeling really down. Right now, where he is now, if this continues, the upness, the crowd, because Bruno would never have experienced the crowd like it’s been the last three or four games.

“He would never have experienced what he experienced in the last three games.”

After a summer of speculation in 2025, Fernandes recently told Canal 11: “In England, when a player starts approaching 30, they start thinking they need a makeover. It’s like the furniture.

“I decided to stay, also because of family reasons, but because I genuinely love the club. The conversation with the manager also made me stay.

“But, from the club’s side, I felt a bit like, ‘if you leave, it’s not so bad for us.’

“It hurts me a bit. More than hurting, it makes me sad because I’m a player who has nothing to criticise.

“I’m always available, I always play, good or bad. I give my all. Then, you see things around you, players who don’t value the club as much and don’t defend the club as much… that makes you sad.”