Manchester United are reportedly set to open to negotiations regarding a new contract for their captain Bruno Fernandes amid uncertainty surrounding his future at Old Trafford.
After gaining attention in the Primeira Liga, the Portuguese midfielder was signed by the Red Devils from Sporting Lisbon for £47m plus add-ons back in 2020.
After a slow start to the 2023-24 campaign, Fernandes made a strong comeback in the latter half and completed the season with an impressive tally of 15 goals and 13 assists across all competitions.
The 29-year-old's season ended with a magnificent no-look assist for Kobbie Mainoo, who tucked away United's second goal of the FA Cup final against Manchester City at the end of last month.
Despite his integral role for the Red Devils over the past four years, there has been growing speculation about his future at the club as the summer transfer window approaches.
© Reuters
Man Utd set to open new contract talks with Fernandes
It was reported in recent weeks that the player's agent, Miguel Pinho, had held talks with several big clubs across Europe, including Bayern Munich and Barcelona about a potential move.
However, according to Football Insider, it seems that Man United are not willing to part ways with Fernandes just yet and are now ready to kick off discussions over a new contract with their skipper.
The report adds that Fernandes, who will turn 30 later this year, is aware that his next contract could be his final 'big deal' in European football. He signed his last contract extension with the Red Devils in 2022.
His existing contract at Old Trafford runs until the summer of 2026, with the possibility of an additional 12-month extension.
Fernandes is believed to be the club's sixth-highest earner at present, but with Raphael Varane and Anthony Martial both departing Manchester this summer, he will move to fourth on that list.
© Reuters
Fernandes to become top-earner at Old Trafford
A new deal would likely see him move up to the same wage bracket as the club's top earners, including Marcus Rashford, Casemiro and Jadon Sancho.
Rashford earns a wage of approximately £365,000 per week, slightly higher than Casemiro, while Sancho, who last featured for United in August before falling out with Erik Ten Hag, receives around £300,000 per week.
There have been several rumours linking Casemiro with a move to Saudi Arabia, while Sancho spent the latter half of the season with his former club Borussia Dortmund and his future at Old Trafford is still up in the air.
In a recent interview, Fernandes confirmed his desire to remain in Manchester for the foreseeable future.
"I love to step out at Old Trafford more than anything in the world. I don't want to leave.
"This has always been my ultimate dream. I just want my expectations to fit with the expectations of the club. If you go talk to any fan, they will tell you the same thing. We want to compete for the league. We want to be playing Champions League football. We want to be in cup finals. That is the standard."
Devesh Jaganath
