05 June 2024 , 04:00
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Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Manchester United hierarchy are prepared to listen to offers for Bruno Fernandes due to the need to raise funds and cut wages.
There has been talk of the Portuguese playmaker, who has been at the club since January 2020, leaving Old Trafford despite another season where he's been one of the team's better performers. Ratcliffe and co acknowledge that Fernandes is a leading light within the squad.
However, the need to find money to inject back into the team coupled with the desire to trim the wage bill means that a substantial offer will be considered, according to the Guardian.
Fernandes' agent Miguel Pinho has recently been in discussions with potential suitors, Bayern Munich among them. Barcelona too have been touted as a destination, but their money issues mean they're not seen as a credible option.
The ex-Sporting Lisbon star is one of the rare transfer success at the club and is looking to extend and improve his deal, but only once he's got certain assurances. Fernandes earns around £220,000 a week, but wants parity with top earners like Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho.
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Rashford is paid a basic salary of about £365,000 with Sancho as well as Casemiro in the bracket of around £300,000 a week. Fernandes is aware that his next contract should be the most lucrative he ever signs as he prepares to turn 30 with his performance level showing no sign of dropping.
The 29-year-old also wants to know what direction the club is heading in with a decision still expected over the future of Erik ten Hag, who has just overseen the club's worst ever Premier League season. A change of manager could lead several players to reassess their futures and Fernandes has made it clear that the club need to match his ambition.
Bruno Fernandes wants a new and improved deal in Manchester (Getty Images)“I love to step out at Old Trafford more than anything in the world,” he told the Players’ Tribune. “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.”
Rashford, as well as Fernandes, are United's two most expensive assets and if a notable offer comes in for the forward, who has struggled to hit his best form over the past 12 months, United may weigh it up.
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