Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes could depart Old Trafford at the end of this season for a cut-price fee with a supposed 'secret release clause' offering him an escape. The Portuguese midfielder has long been linked with a move away from the Red Devils and, this summer, had been the target of a series of unsuccessful approaches by clubs in the Saudi Pro League.
Fernandes to become available on the cheap
With United continuing to struggle for consistency in the Premier League this season, Fernandes may start to believe he is better off seeing out the latter end of his career elsewhere – and he could be presented that opportunity via a release clause. According to , from next summer, Fernandes can be bought for just £57 million ($75.9m/€65.6m) by clubs outside of England.
The suggested fee is remarkably lower than what some Saudi clubs were floating United’s way earlier this year and could prove to be quite the coup for a side looking to bring in the excellent, albeit ageing, midfielder.
The Red Devils will be desperate to keep their captain who, despite his mixed start to the season, is still one of their most important players. Finding a replacement who can produce for Ruben Amorim’s side immediately, for a similar fee to the release clause, may prove a very difficult task for United’s scouting department.
AdvertisementGettyFernandes reveals stance on Saudi switch
Fernandes turned down a move away from Manchester last summer, choosing to remain at the struggling Red Devils. He explained that, because he loves the club and wants it to be successful, he never wanted to depart Old Trafford for Saudi Arabia.
Fernandes previously quashed the idea that he turned the lucrative move to the Middle East down because he wanted to remain in contention for Portugal's World Cup squad, but he did leave the door open to a move away.
“I didn't close the door on moving to Saudi Arabia because of the World Cup. That was never in my mind. I wanted to stay at Manchester United, and the club wanted me to stay. That's all there is to it,” he explained.
Fernandes was speaking ahead of Portugal’s win over Ireland two weeks ago and hinted that his time at Old Trafford could come to an end soon. “I like to enjoy the moment, and the most important thing for me now is representing the national team,” he said. “It's a source of enormous pride to be able to play, and I still don't know if I'll play, let alone if I'll leave Manchester United in a year.”
United at make or break point
After two consecutive wins in the Premier League for the first time under Amorim, Fernandes and his team-mates will be determined to keep their momentum going. The Red Devils followed up their 2-0 victory over Sunderland at home with a surprise 2-1 victory away at Anfield last weekend to fire them back up the table.
With 13 points from eight games, United sit in ninth place but just three points off second-placed Manchester City. It marks quite the turnaround for Amorim’s side, who looked in crisis after a disappointing loss to Brentford at the end of last month.
Despite their uptick in performance levels, Fernandes is still not playing his best football in a Manchester United shirt. The captain has had to take on a deeper role to accommodate the new, flashy attacking signings and has seen his output drop.
Getty Images SportBogeymen Brighton come to Manchester
United will have to overcome bogey team Brighton if they are to keep their winning streak going. The Red Devils have a shocking record against their upcoming opponents, losing six of their last seven games in the Premier League against the Seagulls.
Brighton are also just one point behind Amorim’s men and can climb into the European qualification spots with a win. They will be hopeful that former United striker Danny Welbeck can also add to his recent goal-scoring form.