- Manchester United offer star player a new deal
- United want to lock Bruno Fernandes down
- Will he want to stay at the Red Devils?
Manchester United are reportedly preparing to offer Bruno Fernandes a new contract, but it remains unclear whether the Portuguese playmaker will agree to fresh terms.
Since arriving in Manchester, Fernandes has established himself not only as one of the Premier League’s finest players but also as one of the most influential footballers in the world. Across 324 appearances, he has scored 106 goals whilst registering 107 assists.
This season alone, he has already scored eight times whilst providing 20 assists—19 in the league and one in the FA Cup—with United’s captain now sitting just one assist away from breaking the Premier League record held jointly by Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry.
The 2025/26 campaign may well stand as his most defining yet. After United collapsed to a 15th-place finish last season—the club’s lowest league finish since 1973/74—Fernandes has dragged them back towards relevance.
With third place almost secured and Champions League football guaranteed, United now want to tie their captain down long-term.
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Will Fernandes Sign?
According to SportsBoom, United and Fernandes have already opened talks over a multi-year extension. As things stand, the Portuguese midfielder remains contracted until 2027, although the club still hold the option to extend that deal by a further year.
Fernandes’ form, however, continues to attract attention across Europe and beyond. Whilst much of the interest has emerged from Saudi Arabia and Turkey, United still want to secure his future before a European heavyweight such as Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich enters the conversation.
As things stand, however, Fernandes has not rushed to put pen to paper. Despite a vastly improved campaign that has seen United surge from 15th to third, the midfielder reportedly wants assurances over the club’s ambition as they prepare for a return to the Champions League.
Since Fernandes joined the club in January 2020, United have qualified for the Champions League on four occasions—including this season—and only progressed beyond the group stage once, where Atletico Madrid immediately knocked them out.
Manchester United Spending
| Season | European competition | Total (£) |
| 2025/26 | N/A | 235.3m |
| 2024/25 | Europa League | 206.3m |
| 2023/24 | Champions League | 192.8m |
| 2022/23 | Europa League | 228.8m |
| 2021/22 | Champions League | 134.6m |
| 2020/21 | Champions League | 91.47m |
More importantly, Fernandes will want clarity over recruitment. United have historically spent far more aggressively when operating outside the Champions League than when competing inside it.
What Assurances Does Fernandes Need?
Ultimately, unless you sit inside those meetings, nobody knows precisely what Fernandes means by “assurances”. But all roads point towards recruitment.
United are returning to the Champions League for the first time since 2023, and Fernandes wants the club to compete amongst Europe’s elite—not simply make up the numbers.
With Casemiro leaving the club, United have already explored a number of midfield options capable of replacing the Brazilian. Elliot Anderson remains the preferred target, although reports suggest the Englishman favours a move to Manchester City over Old Trafford.
Champions League qualification, however, strengthens United’s hand considerably in the pursuit of alternative targets, with Aurelien Tchouameni viewed internally as a world-class option.
More importantly, qualification changes the entire atmosphere surrounding the club. Fernandes may remain fiercely loyal to United, but uncertainty has followed his future ever since Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal attempted to lure him away last summer—an approach he ultimately rejected.
United desperately want Fernandes to stay. But buried in his contract is a release clause available exclusively to non-English clubs, meaning the final decision may not rest fully in United’s hands.
