‘No agreement’ – Romano drops Bruno Fernandes contract update as Man Utd battle to resolve multiple issues
Manchester United still have several issues to overcome before they reach an agreement with Bruno Fernandes over a new contract, and while Fabrizio Romano has revealed the multiple exit opportunities the player rejected over the summer, he has moved to reassure fans that INEOS do remain in control of the situation.
The Portuguese is undeniably the best signing Manchester United have made in their post-Sir Alex Ferguson era and with 220 G/A (111 scored, 109 assists) across his 332 appearances for the club, it would be painful to imagine where the Red Devils would be without him.
Now 32, but – as his five G/A in five games so far this season testify – he is still vital to the cause, but with a deal that expires at the end of the current campaign, talks over an extension have been going on for several months now.
Thankfully, for United, Fernandes has made it clear he wants to stay, though, given it could be the last major contract of his career, he is keen to maximise his earnings at Old Trafford.
Co-owners, INEOS, by contrast, are wary of overpaying for a star who is in the autumn of his career and will no doubt be wary of what happened over at Liverpool when they gifted Mohamed Salah a giant £400k a week deal, only for his form to fall off a cliff immediately afterwards.
As a result, talks over that extension have plenty of hurdles still to cross and, while United still have a one-year option on that arrangement, the club and player are now reaching a critical stage in those negotiations.
Providing an update on his YouTube channel, Romano stated: “Manchester United and Bruno Fernandes started discussing a new contract before the World Cup.
“This news didn’t hit the media yet at that point, but now it’s everywhere because the reality is that before, during and right after the World Cup, let’s say until the end of July, several clubs tried to sign Bruno Fernandes.
“European clubs and also clubs from Turkey, Galatasaray, with a big proposal, plus, as every single summer, Saudi clubs calling, trying and attempting because from Saudi they wanted Bruno for a very long time.
“So there were attempts. Bruno decided to stay. Bruno decided to continue at United. United only wanted Bruno to stay as a crucial player this season, including with Champions League football…”
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Man Utd still have big issues to resolve in Bruno Fernandes talks
While the talks are yet to result in a positive outcome, Romano insists there is no panic in the corridors of power at Old Trafford.
“Then there is a clause in Bruno’s contract to extend for one more season, so United remain in control of the situation,” Romano continued.
“The conversation between United and Bruno over a new contract remains ongoing. It’s not off, it’s not collapsed, it’s not over. They are discussing, they are talking, but from what I understand, at the moment there is still no agreement.
“They had conversations in July, in June, in August and also in the recent weeks. Still no agreement because, for Bruno, this is obviously a very important contract.”
Explaining the hurdles that still must be overcome, Romano added: “Financially, the salary and length of contract are important. He’s no longer super young.
“He’s still a fantastic player, but no longer super young, so maybe Bruno has, I don’t know, two or three important contracts left. And so it’s an important one.
“There are several points, including the release clause. Bruno has a release clause in his current contract at United. They have to decide whether to include the clause or not, how much it should be and when it would be valid.
“So there are several points to clarify. That’s why there is still no agreement.”
Back in August, Fernandes rejected the club’s first proposal, illustrating the differences that still exist between both parties.
Fernandes was also at the centre of one of the game’s major talking points on Sunday as United lost the Manchester derby 1-0 to 10-man City.
As a result of the incident that saw Phil Foden sent off, Gary Neville and Roy Keane disagreed over the City star’s actions and Fernandes’ involvement in the dismissal.
