Keep or sell Bruno, MU will have to pay the price

Bruno's future remains uncertain.

Al Hilal have put £100m on the table and promised to triple the Portuguese midfielder's income. For a player who turns 31 in September and a club in turmoil both financially and in terms of identity, this is a difficult problem to solve.

Bruno Fernandes - the man who carries and keeps the soul of the "Red Devils"

Since arriving at Old Trafford in January 2020, Fernandes has played 233 games, scored 79 goals and provided 66 assists in all competitions. No United player has had more direct goal contributions than him during this period. In the Premier League alone, Fernandes has been involved in 131 goals (67 goals, 64 assists) - an incredible number for a midfielder.

But his impact is not just in the numbers. Fernandes is the heartbeat of the game, the spiritual leader, and one of the few players at the club who dares to face a crisis with uncompromising fighting spirit. In a squad that is seriously lacking in personality and leadership qualities, he is a rare example of a Red Devil who retains some of his identity.

Statistics from Opta show that Manchester United have not won a Premier League game in Fernandes’ absence since March 2022. In the six games without the Portuguese captain, the team lost five and drew just one. Manchester United have scored just 0.5 goals per game on average in that run – half the 2023/24 average of 1.3 goals per game.

Bruno is the leader of MU.

The question is: who can replace Fernandes – both in terms of skill and leadership – if he leaves? With Marcus Rashford likely to be released, Alejandro Garnacho’s future uncertain and the club facing hundreds of internal sackings, Fernandes’ departure would be tantamount to pulling the plug on the dressing room.

£100 million - a lifeline or a life-or-death gamble?

£100m is a big number, especially when Manchester United are constrained by financial regulations (PSR) and need money to rebuild the squad under manager Ruben Amorim. The Matheus Cunha deal alone cost £62.5m - more than half of the current budget.

If they sell Fernandes, Manchester United could rebuild the backbone of their squad: a goalkeeper, a central midfielder and a striker - positions they are sorely lacking. It's reminiscent of Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho deal: after selling the Brazilian for £146m, they invested in Alisson and Van Dijk - the defining factors of their most successful period in 30 years.

The problem is: Manchester United are not Liverpool. In the last 10 years, they have spent more than £1.4 billion on transfers, and have won just one FA Cup, one League Cup and one Europa League. Recruitment mistakes have become the club’s identity: from Angel Di Maria and Alexis Sanchez to Jadon Sancho and Antony – the list goes on.

MU has not found a replacement for Bruno.

Selling Fernandes brings in money, but also loses its most trusted leader. Keeping him, Manchester United continues to rely on one individual, while the system remains crumbling and no longer guarantees a breakthrough. It is a vicious cycle: if you don't sell, there is no money to rebuild, and if you sell, the risk of collapse is even greater.

And it is in this tug of war that Ruben Amorim - a newcomer to the Premier League - will be tasked with reviving an entire empire. The Sporting Lisbon-style 3-4-3 system may not suit the current players, and without the right signings, he could be caught in a whirlwind of crisis.

Manchester United don’t lack money – they lack a plan. INEOS spent £200m in their first summer, only to see the team drop from eighth to 15th. The early signs with Cunha are hopeful, but without consistent preparation and a long-term strategy, things could still fall apart.

Fernandes could stay. He could go. But that decision would have to be accompanied by a smart, innovative transfer plan – something United have rarely shown over the past decade.

Manchester United are at a crossroads: keep their icon or reinvent themselves? In Fernandes, they have a brilliant but isolated individual in a chaotic group. With £100m they can rebuild the squad – or throw more money at another mess. The question is not Bruno Fernandes. The question is whether Manchester United have the character and the wisdom to save themselves – one last time.

Source: https://znews.vn/giu-hay-ban-bruno-mu-deu-phai-tra-gia-post1557812.html