Manchester United have drawn a bold red line amid swirling speculation over the future of their talismanic captain Bruno Fernandes.
The Portuguese playmaker recently admitted in a candid interview that he was deeply hurt after learning the club hierarchy was open to selling him to Saudi Arabia earlier this summer.
Those wounds were healed through honest conversations with Ruben Amorim and an unwavering emotional bond with the club he still considers home.
According to journalist Simon Stone, the Red Devils are adamant they are not planning to sell Fernandes or want him to leave. They see him as part of their long-term plan.
Clubs from Saudi Arabia were offering outrageous salaries to the midfielder and were even ready to pay £100 million as a transfer fee to the Red Devils.
Bruno Fernandes is irreplaceable
The 31-year-old has been assigned a new role by Amorim this campaign.
He has been deployed in the midfield pivot, adding more defensive responsibilities than he is used to compared with his favoured number 10 role.
While defensive lapses remain part of his game, Fernandes continues to function as the heartbeat of this United side, driving standards and tempo.
Remarkably, even from a deeper role, he has created more chances than any other player in the Premier League this season.
He has also registered an outstanding 12 goal contributions in the league, with only Erling Haaland (20) ahead of him.
We believe that Fernandes is clearly undroppable and unsellable for the Red Devils.
If he ever leaves Old Trafford, the only real losers will be the club and its supporters.
Age, in his case, is merely a number, as Fernandes still possesses the intensity, quality and leadership to carry this team for at least the next couple of seasons.
He has to be part of the club’s long-term plan under Amorim or any other future United manager.
Stats from Fotmob.com