Bruno Fernandes sets deadline for Man Utd future decision after demanding wage rise

Manchester United might only have a short window of opportunity this summer to convince Bruno Fernandes he is at the right club after a report elaborated on his stance about a new contract.

Fernandes recently admitted that whether or not he stays at Man Utd isn’t solely up to him. Since his comments, there has been plenty of speculation about his future. The fact that Man Utd could finish in their lowest ever Premier League position hasn’t helped matters.

TEAMtalk revealed this week that Fernandes is admired by Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona. It would, though, be difficult for the latter to afford him.

Man Utd will be working on tying down their captain, whose contract lasts until 2026 with the option of an extra year. But there are an abundance of factors at play, including the uncertain future of manager Erik ten Hag.

The Daily Star has now provided a double-pronged update about Fernandes‘ future. First, it’s become clear that the Portugal international wants to be one of Man Utd’s highest earners if he is to agree a new deal.

As evident in our breakdown of every Man Utd player’s contract, he is already on a healthy salary, but players like Casemiro, Marcus Rashford and Mason Mount earn more than him. Furthermore, at the age of 29, this might be Fernandes’ last chance to sign a massive contract.

The second stipulation linked to Fernandes’ future is when it will be decided by. According to the report, he wants to resolve his situation after the end of the Premier League season, but before going to Euro 2024 with Portugal.

Time ticking for Man Utd to sort Fernandes future

In other words, Man Utd will have between May 20 and June 14 – less than a month – to get an indication from Fernandes about his future.

There is a feeling that Fernandes has the power in this situation, rather than his current employers. As long as all are happy and it’s on the right terms, though, it could lead to him committing the rest of his prime years to Man Utd.

If not, the club’s new transfer team – installed by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS group – will have to be wary of losing him.

Fernandes has been at Man Utd since January 2020, when they bought him from Sporting CP. In the time since, he has made more than 230 appearances and racked up nearly 150 goal contributions, proving his influence on the team.

This season, which has obviously been underwhelming for most of his teammates, Fernandes has been United’s top scorer (joint with Rasmus Hojlund) and assist provider.

READ MORE: Six midfielders Man Utd could buy to replace Bruno Fernandes as gigantic bid fuels exit fears