Manchester United’s woes continue to mount as captain Bruno Fernandes appears to be on the verge of leaving the club for good, with reports from The Athletic suggesting that his agent, Miguel Pinho, is in discussions with Saudi club Al-Hilal regarding a mooted £100 million transfer. The deal is likely to be for four years on £25 million a year net, equivalent to triple his current salary.
The news comes in a week after United lost the UEFA Europa League final to fellow underperforming English side Tottenham Hotspur, following which the Reds suffered a shock 1–0 defeat to the ASEAN All-Stars in their first post-season match.
The players were booed off the pitch at Kuala Lumpur’s Bukit Jalil Stadium by frustrated fans.
“We will make a lot of changes in the summer at the club,” Harry Maguire said at a media conference on the sidelines of an event in Mumbai.“There will be a lot of players who leave and hopefully a lot of players who come in — and that’s down to the club to make sure they get that right. It’s down to us players to make sure we are the ones who are involved.”
Earlier, reports of a bust-up between head coach Rúben Amorim and winger Alejandro Garnachohad also surfaced. The Portuguese manager reportedly told the Argentine to leave the club this summer in response to his post-Europa League final comments.
Meanwhile, United appear to be in the final stages of securing the signing of striker Matheus Cunha from Wolves for £62.5 million.
Despite the club enduring a horrendous season, United stars Maguire, Diogo Dalot, and André Onana received a warm welcome during their visit to Mumbai, as part of Apollo Tyres’ flagship grassroots football initiative, United We Play.
“Each player has to take responsibility,” said Maguire. “This season has not been good — we know the criticism is going to be there and we have to accept it. It’s part and parcel of playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world. When you play for Manchester United and have a bad year, the scrutiny just comes and comes. The whole world jumps on it, not just Manchester United fans — others as well. It can spiral.”
The Reds finished 15th in the league table with just 42 points — their worst finish since the relegation season of 1973–74.
“Everything needs to be improved on,” added Maguire. “This year has obviously been a difficult season in the Premier League, but I’m sure next season will be a lot different.”
Dalot and Onana echoed their colleague’s sentiments regarding the state of affairs at the club.
Onana, who replaced club legend David De Gea under former manager Erik ten Hag, has endured a torrid spell at Old Trafford. The Cameroon international conceded 44 goals in the Premier League this season, managing just nine clean sheets.
When asked whether the pressure had become too much, he replied: “It’s not the pressure. No pressure at all. Like I said, coming from Inter, I have a lot of experience. Football is about momentum in life. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes bad. At the moment, it’s a difficult situation.
“We have to be strong and move on. It’s no time to cry, no time to look at what went wrong — we go again. If it’s not working today, it will work tomorrow. If it doesn’t work tomorrow, it will work the day after. So, we move on.”