4 reasons why Bruno Fernandes should leave Man Utd

One of the most surprising parts of the speculation coming into the end of the season has been the uncertainty surrounding Bruno Fernandes’ future at Manchester United.

While no one can doubt his talent – Fernandes leads United in both goals and assists this season – questions have been asked about whether he is a good fit for Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s squad.

United don’t need to let Fernandes out the door, but here are four reasons why they shouldn’t.

Will United win the title next season? Let’s face the facts. The Red Devils are preparing for their third rebuild of the summer, with a number of young players struggling to prove they deserve to be mainstays of the future.

Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund are the highlights of the young crop, who will need a few years to grow together before they can move the needle in English football.

With that in mind, what’s the point of relying on Fernandes, who will turn 30 in September, to get quick results? Are you looking for a team that wins now or are you building for the future? Getting lost between rebuilding and perfectionism could hurt United, who need to reshape their identity under Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Maybe it’s time for Fernandes to be selfish. He’s almost 30 years old which, as any Football Manager player will tell you, means his time at the top is coming to an end. Father time is not always kind to do-it-all attacking midfielders.

With, say, two or three years left in Fernandes’ prime, should he really wait for United to find the kind of fitness needed to deliver silverware? The move may now be Fernandes’ last chance a boy on the team that won the title.

His connection with United is admirable, but sometimes players have to think for themselves. We saw it with Harry Kane last summer as he jumped ship from Tottenham to Bayern Munich, knowing full well that he would not be able to maintain his current levels forever. Fernandes should be open to doing the same.

United need: two new defenders, improvement at fullback, reliable midfielder, firepower out and another striker. That’s an expensive shopping list – but selling Fernandes would make it more realistic.

Fernandes is under contract with United until 2026 – the club also hold a 12-month extension clause – so this could be the last summer in which the Red Devils can demand a ridiculous amount of money for their talisman, especially once they hit the dreaded Three Zero in September. A fee of £80m or more is more than justified this summer.

That kind of money will go a long way to help Ratcliffe rebuild the club and enter a new era.

Erik ten Hag approved a major move for Mason Mount last summer as he wanted the Chelsea midfielder to help out in front of the defence. Not only was that a huge miss, but Mount’s role in the team was once again called into question when Mainoo proved to be exactly what the manager was looking for in the first place.

Mount is an attacking midfielder again, but the problem is that he plays in the same position as Fernandes. If United really have faith in their £60m signing, he may have to start ahead of the Portugal international.

It’s hard to justify choosing Mount over Fernandes at this point, but, with everything else discussed in this article, United should consider cutting ties and fully commit to the current state of their squad.