Fernandes the centre of attention - but what next for Man Utd captain?

Bruno Fernandes was the centre of attention at a historic evening at Croke Park. One of the biggest cheers of the night came from a sell‑out crowd for the first ‘soccer’ match between English teams at the 82,500‑capacity venue of the Gaelic Athletic Association, after an hour of Manchester United’s pre‑season game with Leeds, when Fernandes’ name was called as one of five substitutes made by head manager Michael Carrick. The crowd would have erupted had Fernandes not had an effort ruled out for offside, or had his shot from the edge of the box found the net instead of being flicked off the bar. The leader worship went too far when the first fan, then another, then another raced onto the track to grab a selfie. With chaos threatening to take hold and 90 minutes played, the match was called to a halt without added time and proceeded straight to penalties. Amazingly Fernandes missed, although Noussair Mazraoui kept his composure a few minutes later to secure a 5‑4 victory, after the match itself had ended prematurely at 1‑1. The result was irrelevant compared with preparations for the coming season. Yet the attention on Fernandes underlines his leadership status among United fans, a standing established long before his nine goals and 21 assists delivered a third‑place finish in the Premier League last season and a return to the Champions League. Of every United player, Fernandes is the one most worshipped by supporters. But after the ‘will‑he, won’t‑he’ statement concerning the 31‑year‑old’s future last summer, when the massive link from Saudi Pro‑League side Al‑Hilal emerged, United’s resolve could be about to be tested again. Italian heavyweights Juventus and AC Milan, together with Galatasaray, are each understood to be keen on the Portugal playmaker, who carries a £57m release clause available to overseas clubs. It remains to be seen how United will react if a bid arrives. Last December Fernandes admitted to being “hurt” at being told by United officials that it was up to him whether he wanted to accept the Al‑Hilal offer. Now his contract has entered its final year – there is an option to extend by a further year – and, as yet, there is no agreement on a new deal. It is thought Fernandes prefers to stay at United, possibly for the remainder of his career. On the club’s previous visit to the Republic of Ireland in April he said he wants to compete for trophies, an ambition that is understood to remain unchanged. However, at a time when United are trying to keep a lid on their wage bill, Fernandes could justifiably point to his worth as deserving of a significant salary, especially as Marcus Rashford returns to the squad and is currently the highest earner. United’s hierarchy may find themselves with a problem that will not be easily resolved. Certainly, Carrick will not want to lose the former Sporting man. Already, Fernandes’ partnership with new signing Youri Tielemans is starting to pay dividends. It was Tielemans who set up his captain for the shot that struck the bar, the short pass illustrating the understanding between the pair, which the Belgium midfielder outlined speaking to the media on Tuesday. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cvg0z79l89go Read the full story at BBC News →