Bruno Fernandes brutally told Man Utd CAN afford to lose him as Red Devils legend suggests club could cash-in to sign younger replacement

Fernandes joined United from Sporting for an initial £47 million ($63m) fee in January 2020. He settled quickly in English football and did not take long to become a captaincy candidate at the so-called ‘Theatre of Dreams’. He has inherited the armband, while outlasting iconic countryman Cristiano Ronaldo following the five-time Ballon d'or winners' ill-fated return to Manchester in 2021.

The classy playmaker has rewritten the history books across 317 appearances, but is now 31 years of age and only tied to a contract through to the summer of 2027 - although that deal does include the option for a 12-month extension.

Fernandes has revealed, with United still in a position to demand a sizable fee for his services, that he was nudged towards the exits in 2025 when big-spending Saudi Pro League clubs came calling.

He told Canal 11: “From the club’s side, I felt a bit like, ‘if you leave, it’s not so bad for us.’ It hurts me a bit. More than hurting, it makes me sad because I’m a player who has nothing to criticize. I’m always available, I always play, good or bad. I give my all. Then, you see things around you, players who don’t value the club as much and don’t defend the club as much… that makes you sad.

“I could have left like many people do and said: ‘I want to leave, I don’t want to train, I just want to leave for 20 or 30 million, so they pay me more on the other side.’ But I never did that. I never felt in a position to do it, because I felt that the empathy and affection I had for the club were the same. But it gets to a point where, for them, money is more important than anything. The club wanted me to go, I have that in my head. I told the directors that, but I think they didn’t have the courage to make that decision, because the manager wanted me. If I had said I wanted to leave, they would have let me go.”

Fernandes has turned the page on that saga, posting seven goals and 13 assists this season, as United take aim at a top-four finish in the Premier League and qualification for the 2026-27 Champions League.

Quizzed on whether elite European competition would help to keep Fernandes happy and in his current surroundings, with many of the opinion that he is too important to lose, ex-Red Devils winger Sharpe - speaking in association with BetBrain - told GOAL: “You can afford to lose anybody. There have been great players there and the club continues, it’s not all about one player.”

Three-time Premier League title winner Sharpe added on why a sale in 2026 may make sense: “He would be a big loss to the team but selling Bruno would allow them to go into the market and buy a potential ‘new Bruno’. I don’t know if there are many about because he is a special player. It’s a tricky one. 

“If they do get top four, which is looking like they will do, it might motivate him to stay. I think the club will go out and strengthen and bring in some really strong, talented individuals. Then I think there is every chance he will want to stay. It’s just whether the club want to keep him at the age he’s at and the money they can still get for him, or whether they want to use that cash to get someone new in. I know the fans would love him to stay. He’s playing unbelievably well at the moment. It’s an interesting situation.”

Fernandes has already reached 200 goal involvements for United this season - hitting that milestone quicker than anybody other than Wayne Rooney, with the exploits of iconic figures such as Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes being bettered.

His latest appearance also saw a goal - from the penalty spot - and an assist recorded in a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace. He has now found the target himself and teed up a grateful team-mate in 18 different Premier League matches for the Red Devils - taking him clear of David Beckham (17), while chasing down Giggs (22) and Rooney (35).