Best signing since Fernandes: INEOS exploring deal to sign £40m star for Man Utd

Bruno Fernandes is often framed as being the best Manchester United player of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, a shining light in dark, troubled times at Old Trafford.

While that viewpoint is accurate, it perhaps doesn’t do the Portuguese justice, with the 31-year-old arguably one of United’s finest signings of any era, such has been his sustained, talismanic impact.

The likes of Roy Keane may be among those who repeatedly point to the playmaker’s lack of elite silverware, but Fernandes could have done little more to impact proceedings in Manchester, memorably dragging Ruben Amorim’s side to the Europa League final last season.

38 goals and assists in all competitions in 2024/25 has been followed by a further 29 goal involvements this time around, with no one yet getting close to such levels since the midfielder’s 2020 arrival.

Could that be about to change this summer, however?

Man Utd exploring deal to sign £40m superstar this summer

It’s perhaps no surprise that Fernandes’ record-equalling campaign for assists has come following the arrival of three marquee forwards last summer, with Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko settling in nicely at Old Trafford.

The trio have all now reached double figures for Premier League goals, the first time three new signings have reached that landmark at a Premier League club since Arsenal back in 2012/13.

Considering no player reached ten goals at all for United in the league last season, the improvement has been remarkable, albeit with further firepower surely needed heading into 2026/27 and the return of Champions League football.

With that in mind, CaughtOffside have reported that INEOS are already exploring a deal for AC Milan star, Rafael Leao, with the Serie A side now ‘more open’ to offers for the Portuguese winger than they were previously.

As per the report, United are said to be interested in a player-plus-cash deal for the 26-year-old, with the likes of Marcus Rashford, Joshua Zirkzee and Manuel Ugarte potentially set to be offloaded.

That could help to lower the fee for a player who boasts a €175m (£153m) release clause in his existing deal, albeit with prior reports indicating that Milan could cash in for a figure closer to £40m.

Why Leao could be the best signing since Fernandes

Sunday’s win over Nottingham Forest not only saw Fernandes move level with Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne on 20 assists, it also marked a fitting farewell for an emotional Casemiro, the Brazilian having arguably been the best signing at the club since the captain’s own arrival six years ago.

No player signed since 2020 has made such a sustained impact as the 34-year-old has done, while only Cristiano Ronaldo’s tally of 27 betters Casemiro’s 26 goals for new signings in that period – level with Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho.

There have been few success stories, it must be said, although Leao could potentially buck the trend, such is his current status as “one of the best left-wingers in the world“, in the view of analyst and Como scout Ben Mattinson.

Also dubbed a “monster” by Premier League Panel’s Raj Chohan, Leao has had his difficulties in Italy, but his record speaks for itself, having regularly led the way for goals and assists at San Siro.

It might not quite be Fernandes’ levels, but the consistency of his statistical output is remarkable, scoring and assisting 114 goals in 226 Serie A games.

Since the start of 2021/22, he’s scored at least eight goals in each of those league seasons, while prior to the current campaign, he’d reached ten assists in each of his previous four Serie A seasons.

For a man who isn’t an out-and-out striker, having been typically deployed off the left, that makes for impressive reading, with the former Lille speedster potentially the left-wing solution that Michael Carrick and co are crying out for.

With Cunha more of a number ten by trade, and with Patrick Dorgu potentially set to drop back to left-back, there is a growing need for a long-term, marquee addition on that flank.

Bringing Leao into the fold could then be a seismic upgrade, much like the transition from the likes of Jesse Lingard and Andreas Pereira to Fernandes in the number ten role.

The current United captain immediately hit the ground running at Old Trafford and hasn’t looked back since. Why can’t his compatriot do the same if INEOS wrap up a deal this summer?