Manchester United skipper Bruno Fernandes looks to be a wanted man this summer
Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes(Image credit: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
Manchester United could face a battle to keep Bruno Fernandes this summer amid reports that two European giants are looking to sign the midfielder.
The Red Devils are embarking on a new era with INEOS investment and according to multiple sources, there will be huge surgery conducted on the squad this summer. All but a few players are said to be up for sale, following the club's lowest-ever Premier League finish – eighth – last term.
Fernandes is one of the more valuable assets in the squad, meaning that a lucrative offer could tempt new owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe to cash in on his captain – and now, European royalty has been linked with a move.
Manchester United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is looking to renovate his team (Image credit: DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images)
According to Portuguese outlet O Jogo, Bayern Munich have begun talks with the 29-year-old’s agent Miguel Pinho over a potential move this summer. Bayern have just appointed former Burnley manager Vincent Kompany as their new boss following a protracted search for Thomas Tuchel’s successor.
Kompany arrives with the club having endured their first trophyless season for more than a decade and the ex-Manchester City defender will be keen to make his mark on the playing squad by bringing in a marquee signing. Bayern may need to move fast if they are to bring in the midfielder, as the report adds that Barcelona are also interested in signing the Red Devils skipper.
This report comes at the start of what looks to be a summer of transition at Old Trafford, as Ratcliffe look to make a decision over the future of manager Erik ten Hag before overseeing a number of comings and goings in the transfer market.
Vincent Kompany has just taken charge of Bayern (Image credit: Getty Images)
Fernandes is one of several players with an uncertain future at the club, with the player himself last month warning the hierarchy that although he wants to remain at Old Trafford, the club must match his personal ambitions. In FourFourTwo's opinion, however, it may take a big offer to convince the Portuguese to leave, given his recent wording of how much he loves United.
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“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. That is what I want. That is what you all deserve.
“I just want to keep fighting. I want to be here. My family wants to be here.”
For more than a decade Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor, with stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others. He is the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team.
