Manchester United face Bruno Fernandes contract dilemma before Pochettino arrival

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has rejected a second contract offer from the club, putting his future at Old Trafford under renewed uncertainty.

The Portugal midfielder’s current deal expires at the end of this season, meaning he could begin talks with clubs outside England from January and potentially leave on a free transfer in the summer if no agreement is reached.

Manchester United retain an option to extend Fernandes’ contract by a further year, however, which would prevent him from negotiating a free transfer with overseas clubs in January and give the club additional leverage in discussions.

According to Sky Sports, the 31-year-old has not accepted the latest proposal despite the club’s desire to retain one of its most influential players. United first opened negotiations last summer, after Fernandes signed his previous contract two years earlier, but the initial offer was rejected before the same outcome followed with the second proposal.

The Portuguese midfielder has already attracted significant interest from abroad. In June 2025, he revealed he had turned down a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal, who were prepared to pay him close to three times his current weekly wage of £250,000.

Al-Hilal were also willing to offer Manchester United £100m for the midfielder. Fernandes chose to remain at Old Trafford, despite the scale of the proposed deal.

He was also linked with a move to Turkish club Galatasaray in August, although Manchester United maintained that their captain was not for sale at any price. The latest contract developments mean uncertainty remains over whether he will continue his career in the Premier League.

United are still keen to keep Fernandes, whose technical and leadership qualities have made him central to the team’s attacking play and a key figure in the dressing room. Further discussions are expected as both sides attempt to find an agreement.

Fernandes’ contract situation comes as Manchester United prepare to announce the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino as their new manager on Friday. The Argentine is expected to replace Michael Carrick, who was dismissed on Thursday, as the club begins a new phase under its incoming leadership.

Pochettino and Fernandes have a previous connection. Fernandes said in 2019 that he had been close to joining Tottenham while Pochettino was in charge, but Sporting Lisbon prevented the transfer from being completed. The midfielder remained in Portugal before eventually moving to Manchester United.

Fernandes was named Player of the Year by both the Football Writers’ Association and the Professional Footballers’ Association after an outstanding season in which he recorded 21 assists in the Premier League, a competition record.

His form has been less consistent this season, with four goals so far. Three came in a hat-trick against Ipswich Town in August, a match that remains Manchester United’s only Premier League victory this season, according to the report.

The club must now manage the arrival of Pochettino while attempting to avoid losing its captain for nothing.