Bruno Fernandes makes decision on his Man Utd future after Michael Carrick's arrival as caretaker manager & presence of £57m release clause

Recent reports have suggested that the 31-year-old is mulling over his options again after seeing fellow countryman Ruben Amorim relieved of his managerial duties at Old Trafford. Reins were initially passed to Darren Fletcher on a caretaker basis, while Michael Carrick is now in interim charge of the Red Devils.

United will make a permanent appointment in the summer, and BBC Sport claims it is at that point which Fernandes will decide where his long-term future lies. He is tied to terms through to 2027 and has been in Manchester for six years - taking in 310 appearances and scoring 103 goals.

Fernandes is captain at Old Trafford and a talismanic presence for a team that has struggled for consistency as a collective across recent campaigns. BBC Sport claims that the Portugal international "remains committed to the club".

He has stated on a regular basis that his intention is to reassess his situation once another bid for global glory has been taken in alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Co at the 2026 World Cup.

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Fernandes did, however, reveal recently that United were looking to move him on during the summer of 2025 after receiving a lucrative offer from Saudi outfit Al-Hilal. 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."

With there a good chance that United will look to cash in on Fernandes again while still being in a position to demand a fee, the Red Devils are beginning to explore their options when it comes to midfield reinforcements - with veteran Brazilian star Casemiro also heading for the exits as his contract runs down towards free agency.

According to The Sun, "United are growing increasingly confident of securing Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba in the summer window". The 22-year-old Cameroon international has been registering on the Red Devils’ recruitment radar for some time.

Said interest appears to have become a distraction for Baleba, with his levels dipping slightly in 2025-26. That could make the Seagulls open to talks regarding a big-money sale, with another prized asset at the Amex Stadium tied to a deal through to 2028.

Baleba is not the only player that United are monitoring, though, with alternative options also being identified. The Sun goes on to report that Nottingham Forest playmaker Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton of Crystal Palace and Bournemouth star Alex Scott are all players that United are prepared to move for in the summer window.