In the past, people used to joke that Arsenal always sold their captain, and now it is Manchester United's turn to find themselves in such a predicament. Last season, Maguire was stripped of captain and was on the verge of leaving, but was eventually unable to make the trip due to too many injuries in the team, and subsequently saved the team on several occasions. This summer, Fernandez, who has just been captain for a year, has also repeatedly reported that he has left Old Trafford.
In the warm-up match before the European Championship, Portugal showed good form against Finland, who were eliminated from the play-offs. Although Ronaldo did not play, B Fei, who appeared in the second half, scored two goals, successfully defeated the opponent, and carried Portugal forward. After the game, B Fei said that he was fully prepared and would face the Czech Republic, Turkey and Georgia in the group stage of the European Championship.
Statistics show that B Fee has scored a total of 9 goals and 8 assists in the last 12 games for Portugal, making him a key man for the national team. In one season at Manchester United, he scored a total of 15 goals, second only to Hojlen's 16 goals, and was the team's second leading scorer, with 13 assists, making him the team's assist leader. However, such data is often criticized by some fans, and spreading hands and losing the ball have become the usual direction of criticism.
However, in the only game in which Fernandes was absent due to injury, Manchester United lost four goals to Crystal Palace, completely disqualified from the race for the top four, and even ceded the initiative of the top seven to Chelsea and Newcastle. At this time, everyone found out that the role of the Manchester United captain is still quite obvious, just like Carrick in the past, it seems that he is a "ball blind filter".
Recently, the media has often sent rumors of Fernandes' departure, such as a transfer fee of more than 100 million to join the Saudi league, and the agent has been in contact with giants such as Barcelona and Bayern Munich, suggesting that Manchester United will listen to the offers of various clubs, and the captain is not "not for sale". The player himself has also expressed his feelings on social media, and unlike the past few seasons, there seems to be a possibility of leaving.
If B Fei stays in the team, he needs to face three major tests. First of all, there is the issue of age, in three months, B Fei will be 30 years old, which is a watershed moment for footballers. During Ferguson's tenure, no matter what kind of aura the player carried, he had to sign a contract once a year over the age of 30, and he would not renew his long-term contract. One of the transfer rules after Sir Ratcliffe's arrival was to bring in only players under the age of 25, while also hinting at a return to the "convention" of signing once a year at the age of 30. Rejuvenation is clearly the direction of Manchester United's future reconstruction.
Secondly, B Fei needs to face the problem of salary cuts, and many media have constantly disclosed that if Manchester United cannot enter the Champions League, the entire team will take a salary cut, and if they are absent for two consecutive years, the salary cut will be even greater. Statistics show that the weekly salary of B Fee is not the top in the team, but the number of games played and the role on the field are irreplaceable for Manchester United today. With Manchester United, who are not qualified for the Champions League next season, a pay cut may be inevitable, and will the captain be able to accept such a harsh reality again?
In the end, there are so few accolades, and since joining in the 2020 winter transfer window, it only took B Fernandes half a season to conquer Manchester United, conquer the Premier League and save Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. However, what did B Fee gain by staying at Manchester United? Last season's Carabao Cup was the first title at Old Trafford, this year's FA Cup is the second, and that's it. Look at the national team teammates with similar names, who have won almost all the championships with Manchester City, the Premier League, the Champions League, the Club World Cup, the FA Cup, the League Cup, there is no shortage of any of them, Bernardo and Bruno, there is really a big gap in terms of honors.
Fee's contract with Manchester United does not expire until 2026, and Manchester United still have a one-year right of first refusal, in fact, the team does not need to rush. But for the player himself, when he reaches the age of 30, he either wants more accolades or wants to get a lucrative contract, after all, after a few years, it will become quite difficult to actively fight for these benefits.
It is difficult to have a clear answer to whether Bruno Fernandes will stay in the team in the short term, the European Championship is about to begin, and Manchester United's new management has not officially been in place, and it is believed that the transfer or not will still have to wait until mid-July to have further news.
Do you think Fernandes is worth staying at Manchester United?