Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Manchester United have already begun background conversations to keep Bruno Fernandes at Old Trafford, signalling the club’s intent to retain their captain heading into a summer window that will see significant squad upheaval elsewhere.
Romano said on his YouTube channel: “What I can tell you is that, according to my information, behind the scenes, movements have already started for Bruno Fernandes to stay at Manchester United.”
He added: “This summer, with Man Utd, from what I understand, prepared to make efforts to keep Bruno. So, contacts are ongoing. Manchester United want to continue with Bruno Fernandes.”
Fernandes ended the 2025-26 Premier League season with nine goals and 22 assists, setting a new record for the most assists in a single campaign with 21, surpassing the mark previously shared by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.
United finished third in the Premier League table, confirming their return to the Champions League after two years away, a development that significantly strengthens the club’s case for retaining their best players over the summer.
Manager Michael Carrick addressed the question of Fernandes’s future directly after Sunday’s 3-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion, making his own position unambiguous.
CaughtOffside reported that “when asked about how confident he is that Fernandes will stay, the United boss made it clear he has no reason to believe otherwise,” with Carrick praising the captain’s influence, leadership, and continued love for the club.
Fernandes had previously been linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League on more than one occasion, with Al Hilal reportedly tabling an offer worth around €115 million in 2025 that United rejected outright.
There is a reported release clause worth €65 million embedded in his contract, but crucially the clause can only be triggered by a non-Premier League club, which effectively protects United from any domestic rival attempting to exploit the mechanism.
His contract runs until 2027 with a club option to extend to 2028, giving United structural leverage to manage negotiations on their own terms without the urgency that might otherwise push them into a quick resolution.
Champions League football next season changes the conversation entirely. A year ago, the absence of European elite competition was a significant point of discussion around Fernandes’s future. That is no longer the case.
For Carrick, retaining the player who delivered 21 assists in a single league campaign while simultaneously lifting the team’s performances is arguably as important as any signing the club could make in the window that opens June 15.
