Bruno Fernandes' future at Manchester United has become a talking point yet again in the light of the club's ongoing midfield rebuild. Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos have arrived at Old Trafford for a combined £85 million, and a third signing is almost certain, with AS Roma's Manu Koné being the frontrunner. According to European media sources, Manchester United ideally wish their captain to stay but have decided not to create any hurdles if Fernandes wishes to move on.
The latest speculations are fuelled by reports of Turkish giants Galatasaray being willing to fight the money-rich Saudi leagues if the Portuguese playmaker is open to making a move. As per these reports, Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk finds Fernandes the ideal candidate to dictate terms for his team in the middle of the park.
Bruno Fernandes is 31 and has got just a year left on his current deal. Saudi teams wanted him in the last window but the playmaker was in superb touch, ruling out any possibility of a move no matter how lucrative the offer on the table was. He ended last season by breaking the record for the most assists in a single Premier League season (21 assists), but then had a very modest FIFA World Cup outing with Portugal.
Manchester United believe their captain is worth around £64 million (€75 million), CaughtOffside said in a report. However, an overseas release clause estimated at £56 million (€65 million) makes it possible for non-English suitors like Galatasaray to sign him, the report said. If the reigning Turkish champions can reach a financial agreement with Manchester United, Bruno is open to making a move.
Bruno's willingness means very little unless the complicated financial requirements involved in the deal can be sorted out by Galatasaray. "Galatasaray would still need to convince United that the clause’s conditions have been met or negotiate a separate agreement. They must also find room for the midfielder’s salary, which could make the overall package extremely expensive by Turkish football standards," the CaughtOffside report said.
Up to this point, no believable source has claimed United are doubtful about renewing their captain's contract. A signal from Fernandes should be enough for talks to start, despite multiple players lurking on the sidelines to pounce with their money pouch at the right moment.
