It looks increasingly likely that Bruno Fernandes‘ Manchester United career will come to an end without having secured major honours, the Portuguese genius the shining light in turbulent times at Old Trafford.
It was a similar story for the great Bryan Robson back in the 80s, although Captain Marvel did get his deserved crowning moment in the end, as the Red Devils claimed that inaugural Premier League title.
Fernandes does have a Carabao Cup and FA Cup under his belt, yet following another grim start to a Premier League campaign, it might again prove to be a fruitless season at Old Trafford.
Amid the backdrop of his expiring contract, too, the captain’s future may start to dominate the headlines soon enough.
Will Bruno Fernandes sign a new deal at Man Utd?
It was a year ago that Fernandes arguably came the closest yet to leaving Man United, having been the subject of intense interest from Saudi side, Al Hilal.
By his own admission, the midfielder was more than contemplating the move, having also been irked by the feeling that United themselves appeared open to the sale.
Thankfully, he ultimately stayed put, embarking on a record-breaking Premier League campaign to help drag the Old Trafford side back into the Champions League.
Following a disappointing World Cup, however, the 32-year-old hasn’t clicked into gear as yet this season, aside from his match-winning hat-trick display against Ipswich Town.
He’s not dictating or dominating games in quite the same manner as last term, with the noise around his contract situation perhaps not helping matters.
As David Ornstein revealed last month, talks over an extension have hit an ‘impasse’, with Fernandes’ existing deal set to expire in the summer.
United do boast the ability to extend that deal by an extra 12 months, easing the concern somewhat, but if the skipper does decide to leave in 2027, Michael Carrick’s side are currently without a clear successor.
Perhaps it’ll take a marquee move to fill Fernandes’ shoes – or at least attempt to.
How Man Utd can sign the perfect Fernandes successor in 2027
INEOS may have gone all out on bolstering the midfield this summer, but it really is only Fernandes who can be relied upon in that number ten berth.
With Mason Mount far too regularly on the treatment table, there’s no clear alternative to line up behind the striker, should the skipper be struck down by injury or suspension.
Of course, he’s United’s Mr Reliable, but it would be bordering on a crisis if Fernandes were to face a spell on the sidelines, with this yet another area of the squad that INEOS have failed to address.
In the view of treble winner, Teddy Sheringham – speaking earlier this year – one man who the club should be looking to sign is Morgan Gibbs-White, the former England striker having also namedropped the midfielder’s then Nottingham Forest teammate, Elliot Anderson, as another “readymade” addition.
Sheringham is evidently a big fan of Gibbs-White, in particular, revealing back in 2025 that he wanted the Englishman in the building at Old Trafford.
“He’s top of my list at the moment. I just think if he’s available to move on and he’s ready to leave Forest, I think every club would want him in their armoury.”
It is something of a surprise that the Forest skipper has stayed put at the City Ground up to this point, having notably come close to joining Tottenham Hotspur on a £60m deal a year ago.
By all accounts, Forest would now be looking for somewhere close to the £116m fee dished out by Manchester City to sign the aforementioned Anderson this summer, ensuring any deal for Gibbs-White certainly wouldn’t come cheap.
And yet, if looking for a replacement for United’s number eight, there are few better out there, with Gibbs-White actually the highest-scoring midfielder in Europe’s top five leagues in 2026 thus far.
Dubbed the “most similar player to Bruno Fernandes” out there by one notable Premier League analyst and scout, the Englishman mirrors his Portuguese counterpart as both an elite goalscorer and creator in his number ten berth.
He’s already chalked up one goal and two assists in the league so far this term, having previously contributed 19 goal involvements for a struggling side last term.
|
26/27 Premier League |
Key passes |
|---|---|
|
Pascal Groß |
15 |
|
Morgan Gibbs-White |
14 |
|
Granit Xhaka |
13 |
|
Bruno Fernandes |
13 |
|
Marcus Rashford |
13 |
|
Martin Ødegaard |
12 |
|
Rayan Cherki |
12 |
|
Maxim De Cuyper |
12 |
|
James McAtee |
12 |
Like Fernandes, he is the leader, the talisman at the City Ground, the man who drags Forest through games and out of trouble almost single-handedly.
He’s a delightful, silky footballer to watch, the playmaker having already created five ‘big chances’ so far this term, while averaging 2.8 key passes per game.
Fernandes, meanwhile, has racked up four goals and assists, albeit while creating just one ‘big chance’ and averaging 2.5 key passes per game.
Throw into the mix that Gibbs-White is also a boyhood United fan, having hailed last season’s revival under Carrick as “incredible to see”, then a deal for the 26-year-old feels like a no-brainer.
Let’s hope INEOS take notice of Sheringham’s advice.