Bruno Fernandes: Man Utd stance on sale revealed after hint of why captain could quit

Manchester United have made their mind up about the future of Bruno Fernandes after a report explained what could make the midfielder consider his status and how the club’s stance would be affected by missing out on European qualification.

Fernandes has been one of the few reliable players in the Manchester United squad this season, which could culminate in their lowest ever Premier League finish. He is one of only three United players to have scored double figures of goals, and the only one to also surpass double figures of assists.

With numbers like that, not to mention his influence as captain, it is understandable why Man Utd would want to keep him. However, it is equally understandable why his future might come into question if they finish outside the European qualification places.

Recently, Fernandes threw his future into doubt by admitting his decision on whether or not to stay at Old Trafford did not just depend on him.

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Fernandes told DAZN in his native Portugal: “Obviously, it doesn’t just depend on me, does it?

“A player always has to want to be here, but at the same time, you have to want him to stay. At the moment, I feel there’s that on both sides.

“I’m not thinking too much about the future, not least because, obviously, this season hasn’t been at the level I’d hoped for, either individually or collectively, so far.

“So, if you want me to be very honest, if I have to think about not continuing in the Premier League, it won’t be until after the Euros because nothing will be able to take my focus away from the FA Cup final and the Euros, as there’s nothing more important than that at the moment.”

There have even been some suspicious rumours that United could engineer a swap deal with Barcelona to trade Fernandes and Frenkie de Jong, who are mutually long-term targets for either club, but the sources that have suggested so aren’t the sturdiest.

Now, some additional clues are emerging about what the future holds for Fernandes, who is still under contract in Manchester until 2026.

Man Utd and Fernandes stances revealed

According to Football Insider, Fernandes will consider his future if he feels unwanted. However, United still view him as one of their more important players, so it seems unlikely that will be the case (unless Erik ten Hag is replaced by a manager who has a different opinion, perhaps).

Unsurprisingly, Fernandes is not happy with the way the season has gone for Man Utd. But he could be a key figure in helping them get back on track next season.

That upcoming campaign, though, might not contain any involvement in Europe. It would be the first time since the 2014/15 season that United were absent from all UEFA tournaments, and the first time for Fernandes since he was at Sampdoria in 2016/17.

Could that have an implication on his future? Well, the report claims United are ‘unlikely’ to let Fernandes leave ‘even if’ they miss out on Europe. How it would affect the 29-year-old’s viewpoint might be up for question.

There is also an acknowledgement that United would have to buy a replacement for Fernandes if they were to sell him. At this moment, there are no clues about how they might address that, but they may not need to.

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