Man Utd co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is running the risk of falling out with Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim over Bruno Fernandes, according to reports.
The Red Devils have had a poor season to date with Man Utd finishing the season 15th in the Premier League after a final day victory over Aston Villa.
Despite that, Man Utd had the opportunity to qualify for the Champions League when they faced Tottenham in the Europa League final earlier this month.
However, a single Brennan Johnson goal was the difference between the two sides as Man Utd lost 1-0 to Spurs and will start next season without a place in any European competition for the first time since the 2014-15 campaign.
That means the Red Devils will have to stretch their budget even more with player sales inevitable if Amorim wants to get a squad to move Man Utd up the league next term.
It looks like Matheus Cunha is set to sign from Wolves in an early deal but Amorim needs lots more to implement his high-energy system and tactics.
READ: Man Utd’s seven striker options after Liam Delap snubbed them for Chelsea
And interest from Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal in Fernandes could be the answer to a major revamp of the squad with reports claiming that they are willing to pay as much as £100m to land the Portugal international.
Fernandes has carried Man Utd through games at times this season and it’s clear from press conferences that Amorim has no intention of losing his captain.
When asked about Fernandes’ future in their post-season tour of Asia, Amorim said: “It’s important for Bruno to see that we are changing a lot of things in our club. The behaviour, the everyday organisation, the pace of training.
“All these things, if he sees that we are doing that across all levels, he will want to stay at this club. He loves this club.
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“That is the most important thing – not the Champions League. He wants to win with this club and he trains and behaves at a high level. Everybody here needs to do that – he will be here for that.”
And now the Daily Star claims that a major rift is brewing unless INEOS founder Ratcliffe comes round to Amorim’s way of thinking over Fernandes’ future.
It is understood that the Man Utd co-owner and Amorim ‘risk falling out’ over Fernandes with Ratcliffe ‘willing to sell Fernandes to raise much-needed funds for United, given their dire financial situation, after missing out on Champions League qualification and a payday of up to £100million’.
While the Red Devils’ Portuguese head coach is ‘desperate to keep his talisman and would be left seething if the controversial move is approved’.