How Man Utd plan to keep Bruno Fernandes despite captain's £57m release clause

Where would Manchester United be without Bruno Fernandes? It is a frequently asked question, but one that feels somewhat more pertinent this season, given the club captain's displays and how close he came to leaving last summer.

Fernandes has 16 Premier League assists to his name so far and needs only four in the final seven matches to equal the record held jointly by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne. He is in the running to claim various player of the year accolades. But had circumstances unfolded a little differently after last season's Europa League final, he could be achieving all of this in Saudi Arabia.

Al-Hilal were prepared to make United an offer of around £100million last summer, and were also willing to pay Fernandes a reported £700,000-a-week salary. After a couple of weeks of consideration, Fernandes decided to reject the payday and remain at Old Trafford, but clearly the issue left a lasting impression.

Fernandes revealed in a December interview in Portugal that United "wanted me to leave" and implied he was kept in the dark regarding the club's actual intentions, an assessment not challenged by everyone at Old Trafford. United had finished 15th in the Premier League, lost the Europa League final and required a substantial rebuild. There was a belief that such a sum for a player entering his 30s could prove transformational.

Fernandes discussed matters with his family and opted to remain, and this is the season in which it appears his standing as a club legend has been secured. If he entered last summer uncertain about his employers' thinking, he harbours no doubts this time round.

In recent weeks, Fernandes has been informed by United's decision-makers that they want him to stay, and that message has been conveyed very clearly to the Portugal international. They will do so at all costs. There can be no ambiguity this year.

That doesn't mean the matter is concluded, though. Fernandes has a release clause of approximately £57million in his contract, which is available exclusively to clubs from abroad. He is expected to mull over his next move this summer and decide his future following the World Cup.

United will surely want an indication from their captain before the tournament. Losing him would require a considerable shift in transfer strategy and the challenging task of replacing the Premier League's finest attacking midfielder. Insiders at Old Trafford believe that demonstrating to Fernandes that the club is moving in the right direction will help persuade him that his future belongs there.

The trajectory has been positive of late, with Fernandes at the centre of a remarkable revival under Michael Carrick that has United poised to re-enter the Champions League next season. That is the platform on which Fernandes is eager to perform, and where he certainly merits playing. He is too good for the Europa League or Conference League.

In his six-and-a-half-year tenure at United, he has participated in just 19 Champions League matches, and only two in the knockout stages. He has merely an FA Cup and a League Cup to display for his exceptional service. But who United pick as their next manager, whether it's Carrick or an alternative head coach, will be crucial to their progress beyond this summer.

Paris Saint-Germain attempted to recruit Fernandes in the summer of 2024, and it's possible that some of Europe's top clubs may come knocking again, particularly now they are aware of the costs involved in facilitating a deal.

However, he turns 32 in September and £57m is still a hefty fee for a player of that age, regardless of how impressive his most recent season was. There will be no resale value. And his wages will be significant as well.

Having dedicated so much of his career to a club he has grown fond of, there is a sentiment that securing one major trophy at United would be more valuable than accumulating an easy Ligue 1 haul with PSG or Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich.

The question might be whether United can demonstrate to Fernandes that they are making the necessary progress to contend for the Premier League, or the Champions League, sooner rather than later.

For the third consecutive summer, Fernandes' future will be under intense scrutiny in the coming months. This time around, he is fully aware of United's position. Now, it's United who are waiting on Fernandes to see how this situation unfolds.