Man Utd legend Patrice Evra insists the Red Devils have to avoid selling captain Bruno Fernandes in the summer transfer market.
Ruben Amorim’s side are having a nightmare campaign in the Premier League with their 2-0 defeat at home to West Ham at the weekend seeing them drop to 16th in the table.
Man Utd have not won in seven Premier League matches, securing three points just ten times this season, while only four clubs have scored fewer goals than the Red Devils this term.
If it hadn’t been for Fernandes – who has contributed eight goals and nine assists in 34 league matches – who knows where Man Utd would have been this season.
There were reports last week that Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal were ‘ready to make a record-breaking offer’ in order to sign Fernandes in the summer transfer window.
And former Man Utd left-back Evra has pleaded with INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe to avoid selling Fernandes at any price.
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Evra told Sky Sports: “What he’s looking for next season is to have a competitive team. We need more defenders, we need a proper striker, maybe some midfielders to support Bruno.
“I heard in Saudi they offered a lot of money to get Bruno and I think it would be a mistake to let him go.
“People talk about his age, 30. No! He’s the most important player in the team.
“I think if Bruno wasn’t there, maybe we wouldn’t be in the final of the Europa League.”
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When suggested that Man Utd could have been relegated without Fernandes, Evra responded: “Yeah, I’m not afraid and ashamed to say that.
“This could have been possible, but now we are this final. Make sure next year that we get the right players to be competitive because we have to forget this season.”
Evra has still been impressed by Amorim despite branding the season a “disaster”, he added: “It’s a disaster, it’s not a great season. Amorim knows that, I had a meeting with him and he’s not happy.
“But I love his humility, he admits things. You remember what happened with Rashford? He said, ‘Guys, I couldn’t get the best out of [Marcus] Rashford’, so I love his honesty.
“I love the personality but, of course, the results are really bad this season.”
Man Utd do have a chance to save their season later this month when they face Tottenham in the Europa League final, and the winners will be rewarded with a place in next season’s Champions League.
Evra continued: “We’ve got, I would say, the last chance to win the Europa League, but it’s against Tottenham and they have beaten us three times this year. It won’t be an easy game.
“If you want to attract the top players, you need to be playing in the Champions League, especially a club like Manchester United.
“It’s definitely the biggest game for Amorim and his players this season.
“United can have a tough season, even with Erik ten Hag, but we still win trophies and there’s not many teams that can do that.
“That’s why this is the biggest chance, the biggest opportunity. Please guys, make it happen.”