Marcus Rashford’s reintegration has thrown Bruno Fernandes’ contract talks with Manchester United into doubt
Marcus Rashford’s reintegration has thrown Bruno Fernandes’ contract talks with Manchester United into doubt
Apart from planning incomings and outgoings, Manchester United are also looking to secure their key stars on new contracts.
Luke Shaw’s deal ends next summer, but INEOS do not want to lose him on a free transfer and they are planning contract extension talks with the Englishman.
Harry Amass, who seemed destined to leave in the summer, is likely to see the one-year extension option triggered, with United expected to do the same with Lisandro Martinez.
However, what fans really want to know is what the club’s plan is for Bruno Fernandes, whose contract also ends in 2027, but United do have the option of extending it by another year.
Bruno Fernandes contract update
For now, contract talks have stalled, which has seen Juventus enter the picture, but the 20-time English league champions have no intention of letting their skipper leave as a free agent.
If a new deal cannot be agreed, his one-year option will be triggered, but the co-owners remain determined to secure the Portugal international on a new long-term deal.
Plenty of new teams are likely to enter the fray, and the main reason behind the delay between both sides is the 32-year-old’s wage demands.
It was expected that the three-time Champions League winners would make Bruno Fernandes their highest paid player, but Marcus Rashford’s reintegration has posed a brand new problem.
Rashford is proving to be a problem
The Mancunian currently earns £390,000 per week including bonuses (via capology), and INEOS do not want to ruin the club’s wage structure, which has come down significantly over the past summer.
Fabrizio Romano revealed the details on the Here We Go Podcast: “There is still no agreement. At the moment, I don’t think it’s time to be worried yet for Man Utd fans because there is still plenty of time. It’s still early October, so they have few months to sort the situation.
“And don’t forget that officially the Bruno contract is expiring in 2027, but Utd have a clause on their side to extend it till 2028. So, they are still in control of the situation, but still Manchester United are talking with the agent of Bruno Fernandes.
“They are having a conversation over a new deal. And this conversation has to continue on several points. It’s not just about the salary, and the salary is a topic.
INEOS have a job on their hands to convince Bruno Fernandes to stay
“Since Marcus Rashford returned to Manchester United with a huge salary, obviously the structure has changed again, and so the salary is a point, but it’s also about the length of the contract, about the release clause.
“It’s different from Harry Kane because in this case it is a pure release clause, a traditional one, and it’s worth €65million (£55.1m, $73m) in the current contract. So they have to decide how to take care of that clause, but the conversation around Bruno Fernandes is still ongoing.”
Apart from his wage demands, the club captain also wants to clarify the contract length, while United will look to either remove the release clause or significantly increase it.
For now, Bruno Fernandes seems content at Old Trafford, but another season of turmoil and finishing outside the Champions League places could finally force him to act.
Source: sports.yahoo.com — article syndicated from the publisher’s feed; all rights remain with the original publisher.