Bruno Fernandes is under contract at Man United until 2028 at the very latest but he has still been linked with a move away.
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Fernandes and Amorim speak before the Real Sociedad tie
Fernandes and Amorim speak before the Real Sociedad tie
Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has clarified Bruno Fernandes is "not going anywhere because I’ve already told him".
Fernandes signed a new United contract in August to make him one of the highest earners in the squad but he has still been linked with a move away from Old Trafford this summer.
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The 30-year-old is under contract at United until 2027, with the option of an additional year, and Fernandes is poised to retain the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award having already tallied 16 goals in 44 appearances this term.
Fernandes recently admitted he had an offer to leave United in the summer but his deal was extended by a year and his salary was hiked to more than £300,000-a-week.
United have only won the League Cup and the FA Cup since Fernandes arrived from Sporting in January 2020 and Amorim acknowledged they have to become more competitive if they are to satisfy his compatriot.
"No, it’s not going to happen," Amorim stressed when asked if Fernandes could leave. "That (becoming more competitive) is the challenge. I want Bruno here because maybe in the lowest moments of our season he... We want to win the Premier League again, so we want the best players to continue with us.
"He’s 29, I think, but he’s still so young because he plays 55 games every season and between assists and goals he’s there for 30 at least. So he’s the type of player we want here so he’s not going anywhere.
"We are in control of the situation and I feel that he is really happy here, especially because he understands what we want to do and then I think he is one more supporter of Man United. He really feels it.
"Sometimes the frustration that you see, that everybody sees and maybe says, is not a good thing in a captain. It’s a sign that he wants this so bad. This is the kind of player that we want and he’s not going anywhere because I’ve already told him!"
United could still qualify for the Champions League next season through winning the Europa League. They have lost at the quarter-final, semi-final and final stage in their three campaigns in the competition with Fernandes in the squad. United play Lyon in the last eight next week.
Amorim stopped short of entertaining the prospect of Marcus Rashford reigniting his United career after his loan spell with Aston Villa ends. Rashford scored his first goals for Villa in their FA Cup quarter-final win at Preston North End on Sunday and he was recalled to the England squad for the first time in a year for the World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia in March.
Rashford was omitted from 11 out of 12 United matchday squads before he joined Villa on the penultimate day of the winter transfer window. Amorim reiterated it is positive for United's loanees to be performing, effectively alluding to their resale value increasing.
"I know Rashford really well and everybody knows the talent that he has," Amorim added. "So I already spoke about that. He’s a top player if he wants [it]. So I’m not surprised and it’s the same with Antony.
"It’s a good thing we see our players doing well on loan in a different context. That can happen. It’s a good sign for the club. We are really happy for our players that are on loan doing well.
"I’m planning the future but I don’t want to talk about the future in this moment. I just want to focus on the game (against Nottingham Forest)."