Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has advised the club to accept a £100million offer for Bruno Fernandes, suggesting that the Portuguese star's style of play could disrupt Ruben Amorim's tactics as he "confuses the system". The 30-year-old is reportedly being pursued by Saudi Pro League heavyweights Al-Hilal, who are said to have engaged in extensive discussions with Fernandes' representatives about a potential lucrative contract.
Fernandes, who arrived at Old Trafford in January 2020, captained the team to their worst-ever Premier League finish this season. It's rumoured that he is seriously contemplating leaving United next week, with Al-Hilal keen to secure his signature in time for the forthcoming Club World Cup. Despite the speculation, Fernandes has remained tight-lipped about his future plans. However, his comments following United's Europa League final loss to Tottenham last week have fuelled fears that he may be preparing to depart.
Old Trafford chiefs are seemingly unperturbed by the gossip and are open to negotiations for any of their star players, including Fernandes. The shortfall in revenue from missing out on Champions League football means INEOS recognises the need to offload some of their talent in order to finance a squad overhaul, all within the boundaries of the stringent Financial Fair Play and Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
Scholes weighed in during The Overlap Fan Debate, commenting: "They are talking about £100m for him. Man United cannot say no to that. You know when you talk about this system as well, I know he has been brilliant and carried the team on his back but where does he play? What is his position? Do you see him as a number 10? Do you see him as a holding midfielder?
"He almost confuses the whole system because he doesn't have that one position for him. I mean he has been brilliant don't get me wrong. But when you're getting £100m for him you snap their hand off and take it."
Concurring with Scholes, pundit Jamie Carragher added his critique: "I've always described Bruno Fernandes as a great talent but not a great player. Where does he play? He's a bit mad in that he just runs all over the place, like a kid in the school yard. The best player in the school yard doing everything but in a really poor team. I don't think he's ever had any discipline in those No. 10 positions."
Amorim has hailed Fernandes' leadership qualities and claimed he wants the midfielder to stay at the club, amid speculation surrounding the future of the Portugal international. When asked about the current situation, the Red Devils boss said: "We've talked about this many times.
"You can see by his performances. You can see by his leadership. You can see the passion he has for the game. In difficult moments Bruno is the guy who takes responsibility. He should do because he is the captain."