Bruno Fernandes could leave Manchester United in the summerplaceholder image
Bruno Fernandes could leave Manchester United in the summer | Getty Images
Man Utd could lose a star player at the end of the season with interest still high in the transfer market.
Michael Carrick might not oversee any major transfers during his spell as Manchester United head coach, but he could still dictate a huge transfer decision for the club.
United targeted a top-six finish at the start of the season, but there is a renewed belief they can finish in the Champions League places instead. A top-four finish would guarantee that, while a top-five finish might also be enough based on the current Uefa coefficient rankings, which would reward the Premier League an additional place.
Champions League qualification would not only be a huge financial boost for United, it would also be a huge reputational one, and a display of renewed ambition at a time when it appears they have repeated many of their previous mistakes. It could also prove to be a key factor in convincing United's best player that his future would still be best served at the club.
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Fernandes future remains uncertain
Bruno Fernandes has received several offers to leave Manchester United during his six-year stay, most notably a lucrative offer to move to Saudi Arabia last summer. The 31-year-old claimed many at the club wanted to sell him for a huge financial return, but he remained loyal to United after he was assured of a key role under Ruben Amorim.
It didn't take long for it to look like another wasted season. United started poorly, Amorim has been sacked, and even if they go on to finish fourth in the Premier League, a player of his immense talents deserves better. Fernandes' individual accolades far outweigh the achievements of the club during their time together, and few would begrudge him a chance to add more silverware to his collection in the final years of his playing career.
Fernandes is a United great, if not a legend, but will never get the respect he deserves due to a lack of trophies at Old Trafford. He already has five goals and 10 assists this season; the fact that he managed 19 goals and 19 assists last season when United finished 15th is quite frankly obscene.
By then, United will also have a new permanent head coach in charge. They will hope their first transfer window is not derailed by the exit of the club captain. To ensure that doesn't happen, United have 16 matches left under Michael Carrick to prove they are on the right track and to give Fernandes the platform to compete for major honours. If he wants to win the Champions League, he has to be in it to begin with.
Fernandes will already be excited by the prospect of a run of matches in his favoured attacking midfield role under the new head coach, and although he was still effective from deep under Amorim, he is clearly much better when used further up the pitch. In the 2-0 derby win over Man City, he grabbed one assist, while he had another, and a goal ruled out for offside in a frantic first half.
The United captain made history when he became the first player in Premier League history to create four 'big chances' in a single match against a Pep Guardiola side, while he is the only player to have made that many chances in a single match against anyone this season. In fact, he also did it last month against Wolves as well.
Fernandes also hit a remarkable milestone in the City win; he has now created 600 chances in his Premier League career. The next person on the list is Kevin de Bruyne, who managed 432 since the United captain made his debut for the club. It is a credit to Fernandes that he still managed to play such a key role in a deeper position under the previous head coach, but it is also alarming that they could have gotten even more out of him during that time as well.
United are dreaming of Champions League football once again. Whatever happens, Fernandes deserves a chance to win it.
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