Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Manchester United hierarchy have considered selling Bruno Fernandes in the past after Jamie Carragher claimed the club needed to cash in on their captain.
Fernandes has been one of United's shining lights in a turbulent season, but reports earlier this summer suggested Ratcliffe and the club's board were open to selling the playmaker before he signed a new contract in August.
The 30-year-old has scored five goals and provided nine assists in the 2024/25 season so far and his departure would not go down well with the United fanbase should the club decide to part ways.
A report from the Guardian in June claimed that United were keen to find ways to inject more money into the team while reducing wage costs, and saw Fernandes as a potential star who could be sacked. It is believed he earns around £220,000 a week at Old Trafford.
The same report added that player agent Miguel Pinho had been in contact with interested parties, with Bayern Munich and Barcelona both clearly interested in a transfer.
Fernandes has been crucial for United in recent seasons since joining from Sporting Lisbon in 2020, scoring 84 times in 256 appearances, but Carragher believes the club should look to cash in on him in his 30s.
He wrote in his column in the Daily Telegraph: 'A dilemma also looms for Bruno Fernandes [Marcus] Rashford, Fernandes has been one of United's best players during a difficult period and would have shone with more quality around him during his career at Old Trafford.
“But he is 30 now and there could be value in offloading him to raise money. I have always felt that Fernandes is a great talent rather than a great player. He creates a lot of chances but can be very undisciplined , with and without the ball.” .
“That makes it a lot more difficult for United to defend as a compact unit while chasing the ball all over the pitch. It seems like a big commitment to the supporters, but the manager will be pulling his hair out.”
It comes after Fernandes revealed he almost left the Red Devils last summer after offers from Europe and Saudi Arabia, but decided to sign a contract extension because the club “showed they needed me”.
“The club was aware that there was a possibility of me leaving, I had concrete offers,” he revealed. “But the club showed that they needed me, that it was a time of change and that they wanted to do things differently.
“I believe that there is a dream future at this club with the changes that are taking place. That's why I chose to stay. There were other directions that would have been interesting for me, other expectations. But I feel good here, I feel loved me.” and I feel like the club has had a lot of respect for me.”
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