Bruno Fernandes, Lisandro Martinez, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw will all be out of contract at Manchester United by the end of the season. That leaves Michael Carrick’s staff with four big calls to make before next summer. The Man Utd contract situation, along with the futures of Martinez and Maguire, has become one of the main talking points at Old Trafford this autumn.
United hold the option to extend both Fernandes and Martinez by 12 months. Maguire signed a new one-year deal in April. It carries a similar option. Shaw’s contract is different. It has no such clause, so United must agree new terms if they want to keep their longest-serving player beyond this season.
Fernandes Deal Talks Open as Contract Extension Options Detailed
Talks have opened over a new contract for Fernandes. United want to tie down their captain well before his current deal nears its final months. His existing contract has a 12-month extension option, which gives the club some breathing room. Even so, a new long-term deal remains the preferred outcome.
The timing follows a tough international break for Fernandes. He missed Portugal’s UEFA Nations League match against Norway because of a knock. The issue wasn’t serious enough to stop his return to United duty, though it added concern to a week already full of contract talk.
United have been managing a separate fitness issue elsewhere in the squad this week, as covered in our earlier report. The club’s priority, as reported by the Manchester Evening News, is to agree fresh terms rather than rely only on the option clause.
Defensive Trio Contract Clauses Impact Michael Carrick’s Squad
Martinez’s situation mirrors that of Fernandes. United hold the same 12-month extension option in his deal. The Argentine defender has become an important part of Carrick’s back line when fit, and the option gives the club flexibility rather than an immediate deadline.
Maguire’s case is a little different. He signed his current one-year contract in April, again with a 12-month option attached. His recent form has strengthened his place in the squad. The deal shows a club trying to balance short-term certainty with longer-term planning. Decisions on both defenders will shape how Carrick handles recruitment and squad depth in the coming transfer windows, a theme touched on in an earlier report on United’s transfer business.
Upcoming Negotiations for Longest-Serving Player Luke Shaw
Shaw’s position carries the most urgency of the four. Unlike Fernandes, Martinez and Maguire, his contract has no extension option. United can’t simply trigger an extra year if talks stall. New terms will need to be agreed and signed before his current deal runs out.
Shaw is now Manchester United’s longest-serving player. He passed the 12-year anniversary of his £30 million move from Southampton back in June. That length of service, combined with his experience in the dressing room, puts pressure on the club to sort his future quickly. The Man Utd contracts with Fernandes and Shaw question looks set to stay in news until agreements, one way or another, are reached on all four deals.
