The captain has ran himself into the ground trying to keep the dysfunctional club going but the money from his sale could be a game changer
When the subject of Bruno Fernandes leaving Manchester United was first broached two months ago, Ruben Amorim was unequivocal. "It’s not going to happen. This is the kind of player we want and he’s not going anywhere because I’ve already told him," was the coach's response to questionable rumours of an offer for United's captain from Real Madrid.
There were laughs in the Jimmy Murphy press room at United's Carrington training ground and Amorim seemed completely relaxed. The fact that Fernandes was a completely different profile to the type Madrid tend to sign these days (either established players about to become free agents or young players on the rise) helped him dismiss the story. He added: "We are in control of the situation. I feel that he is really happy here especially because he understands what we want to do, and then I think he is one more supporter of Man United. He really feels it."
But now Fernandes' future at United is no laughing matter and Amorim is no longer in control of the situation. The United captain is seriously considering a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia giants Al-Hilal which could see him triple the salary he earns at Old Trafford and give him the chance to play at the FIFA Club World Cup next month. United could also be in for a huge pay day, with Al-Hilal ready to throw them as much as £100m ($134m) for the Portuguese Magnifico.
Amorim, just as in March, has made it very clear that he wants Fernandes to stay, stating that his captain is "really important for us and what we want to build for the team." But the inconvenient truth is that the time is right for Fernandes to leave United…
Getty Images SportCarrying too much weight
United knew they were in for a summer of great change, with Amorim already telling Alejandro Garnacho that he has to find a new club. Kobbie Mainoo's future is uncertain and the club will be looking for buyers for Marcus Rashford, Antony and Jadon Sancho. Matheus Cunha is going to join and more signings are needed to make sure United make up for their worst campaign in 51 years and get into a position to qualify for the Champions League.
Fernandes was expected to be the unifying force behind the new-look team, the experienced and reliable leader who would uphold the club's standards for the newcomers. But as the player who had carried the club ever since he joined from Sporting CP in January 2020, you could see how weak his arms got. He had shouldered the weight until his back broke. He had run until his lungs gave up. And after the Europa League final defeat to Tottenham, a game in which for once he was one of the worst performers, he hinted that he didn't want to do it any longer.
"If the club thinks it’s time to part ways because they want to do some cash in or whatever, it’s what it is, and football sometimes is like this," Fernandes said. His words came after reports had already emerged of Al-Hilal's interest in him and while he had also said "I’m eager to do more, to be able to bring the club to great days", it felt like he was laying the ground for his imminent departure.
AdvertisementGetty He owes the club nothing
No United fan will blame Fernandes for having had enough and wanting a new challenge. In five and a half years at Old Trafford he has won just one FA Cup and one Carabao Cup. He has only reached the Champions League knockout stage once, with United meekly going out to Atletico Madrid in the last 16.
Sure, some will question Saudi Arabia as his destination, but they know that he does not owe the club anything. He has won the club's player of the year a record-equalling four times. He has scored 98 goals and set up another 97 in his 270 appearances. In his first campaign he took a dysfunctional team under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and made sure they finished second. From the date of his transfer from Sporting, no team picked up more points than United in the 2019-20 season.
In a diabolical last campaign all round, Fernandes finished with 19 goals and 19 assists. His hat-trick fired United past Real Sociedad in the last 16 of the Europa League, his double at San Mames put them on their way to their emphatic 7-1 aggregate win over Athletic Club in the semi-finals. But it was all for nothing as United could not lift the Europa League and have no European football to look forward to for the first time in 11 years. This is a good time as ever for Fernandes to leave.
Getty'Snap their hand off'
But it is also a good time for United to, in Fernandes' words, cash in. And it is a chance that is unlikely to come around again. If United can get the maximum price of £100m out of Al-Hilal then he will become their most expensive sale of all time, easily eclipsing the £80m they received for Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009.
But Ronaldo was 24 when he left for Real Madrid and Romelu Lukaku, their second most expensive outgoing, was 26. Fernandes will be 31 one month into next season. No club outside of the Saudi Pro League is going to consider paying anything like that amount of money for him. The £100m fee would instantly plug the financial hole of losing to Spurs and failing to qualify for the Champions League.
It would also double the club's transfer budget in one fell swoop. And if United can sell the likes of Rashford, Antony and Garnacho wisely, they will have a significant war chest to undertake the squad overhaul that is clearly needed. No wonder then that legendary United midfielder Paul Scholes sees Fernandes' potential sale as a no-brainer. "They are talking about £100m for him. Man United cannot say no to that," he told "I mean he has been brilliant don’t get me wrong. But when you’re getting £100m for him you snap their hand off and take it."
Getty Not a natural fit in Amorim's system
Scholes also mentioned another little mentioned fact: Fernandes does not naturally fit into Amorim's 3-4-2-1 formation. Amorim's Sporting side played with two speedy narrow No. 10s and two athletic central midfielders. The coach has deployed Fernandes in both roles, and he has tended to perform much better when playing in the advanced role.
His propensity to lose the ball when trying to break the opposition's line makes him vulnerable to playing deeper and it should not be forgotten that Tottenham scored the only goal of the final from a move in which he had surrendered the ball in the middle of the pitch. Indeed, when Amorim has praised Fernandes he has tended to highlight his leadership, his appetite for winning, his willingness to play every game and to play through the pain when he is feeling a niggle or not completely fit.
Scholes added: "You know when you talk about this system as well, I know he has been brilliant and carried the team on his back but where does he play? What is his position? Do you see him as a number 10? Do you see him as a holding midfielder? He almost confuses the whole system because he doesn’t have that one position for him."