Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes is pushing for a bumper new contract amid increasing speculation surrounding his future.
Fernandes, 29, has become the subject of interest from European giants Bayern Munich and Barcelona following news that due to Financial Fair Play concerns, United are open to selling all but three members of their first-team squad in the upcoming summer transfer window. In response, Fernandes publicly stated that he'd be happy to remain at United but only if the club's new football hierarchy, led by co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS colleagues, want him to stay.
Reports circulated earlier this week claiming that the Portuguese midfielder's agent, Miguel Pinho, has already held talks with both Bayern and Barca. Now, the Guardian say report that Fernandes is seeking assurances over his standing at United and wants a new deal which would would put him in the same wage bracket as team-mates Marcus Rashford, Casemiro and Jadon Sancho.
Fernandes signed a new contract in April 2022 worth around £220,000 per week which runs to 2026 with the option of a further 12 months. However, the Portugal international has grown to feel unvalued at United, with aforementioned trio all enduring below-par seasons as Erik ten Hag's side finished eighth in the Premier League, the club's worst finish in 34 years.
Ratcliffe is said to view Fernandes as United's best player and although he won't actively look to sell the 29-year-old, he hasn't ruled out a sale. Rashford, Casemiro and Sancho would also be available at the right price and the INEOS chairman would look to reinvest.
Rashford is paid a basic salary of roughly £365,000 per week, slightly more than Casemiro, and Sancho - who last played for United in August before falling out with Ten Hag - pockets about £300,000 per week. Casemiro has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia while Sancho spent the second half of the season at former club Borussia Dortmund and effectively remains in purgatory.
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Ahead of turning 30 in September, Fernandes knows that his next contract will likely be the biggest of his career and potentially his last payday at the elite level. Last month, the ex-Sporting Lisbon star - who joined the Red Devils in January 2020 for £47million - wrote for the Players' Tribune: "I love to step out at Old Trafford more than anything in the world.
"I don't want to leave. This has always been my ultimate dream. I just want my expectations to fit with the expectations of the club. If you go talk to any fan, they will tell you the same thing. We want to compete for the league. We want to be playing Champions League football. We want to be in cup finals. That is the standard."
This summer's transfer window opens on Friday, June 14, five days before Portugal kick-off their Euro 2024 campaign against the Czech Republic. One of the favourites to win the competition, Roberto Martinez's side will then take on Turkey and Georgia in their bid to reach the knockout stage.
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