Bruno Fernandes has one foot out of Manchester United

Bruno Fernandes has rejected the second contract renewal offer from Manchester United. The 32-year-old Portuguese midfielder considers the conditions proposed by the club to be insufficient, according to Laurie Whitwell from The Athletic. His contract ends in June 2027 and, if there is no agreement, he could negotiate with foreign teams starting in January.

🔥 Bruno Fernandes rejected Manchester United's second contract proposal after choosing to stay despite interest from Europe and Saudi Arabia. Fabrizio Romano explains why negotiations remain deadlocked. 𝗙𝗮𝗯𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗼 𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗼: “Many of you are asking me about Bruno Fernandes. According to reports from The Athletic, he has turned down Manchester United's second proposal for a new contract. My understanding is that the situation between Bruno and United has remained exactly the same since June. “United started discussions with Bruno and his agent at the beginning of June, even before the World Cup. The club wanted to get a new deal done because Bruno had offers from Europe as well as Saudi Arabia. He had several options, but he decided to stay and continue at Manchester United this season. “Bruno was then really disappointed to see that by November, United's season had already become so complicated. That's not easy for him to accept. He and his agent have continued negotiating with the club since June, discussing a new contract right up until recent weeks, but there is still no agreement.”

— BoiBoi (@ToniBoiBoi) November 13, 2026

Bruno Fernandes rejects two offers from Manchester United

Discussions between Bruno Fernandes and the English management began last summer. The first proposal was rejected, and several months later, the club has encountered the same response despite improving the financial conditions.

The main disagreement lies in the salary and the duration of the new contract. Fernandes seeks conditions that reflect his importance within the team, while United tries to secure his continuity without compromising their salary planning for upcoming seasons.

The second rejection is a setback for a management that considers it a priority to keep their captain. However, negotiations are not broken off, and both parties plan to continue discussions in the coming weeks. Mateu Alemany explores signing Bruno Fernandes.

The Portuguese comes from a season in which he registered 21 assists in the Premier League, setting a new record for the competition. His performance allowed him to win the FWA Footballer of the Year and PFA Players' Player of the Year awards.

This campaign, Fernandes has accumulated 4 goals and 2 assists in 9 matches in the English championship, although the collective performance is far from expectations. The Old Trafford team is going through a sporting crisis that has led to another managerial change.

Mauricio Pochettino will have to manage the Portuguese's future

Fernandes' contractual situation coincides with the imminent arrival of Mauricio Pochettino to the United bench. The Argentine is set to replace Michael Carrick, who was dismissed after a series of results that have left the team in relegation spots.

The coaching change could influence the upcoming conversations. Pochettino has known the Portuguese since his time at Tottenham when he tried to sign him in 2019, although Sporting Lisbon ultimately blocked that move.

Now both could finally meet at Old Trafford. The new coach will have to decide how much prominence to give to the captain within his plan to recover positions in the Premier League.

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The clause that could prevent Bruno Fernandes' free exit

The main concern lies in the timeline. Starting on January 1, 2027, Fernandes could negotiate his free transfer to a foreign club for the next season if he does not extend his contract.

However, Manchester United has a unilateral option to extend his contract until June 2028. Activating it would prevent the player from becoming a free agent at the end of the current season and would give the club more leeway to resolve his future.

The interest from Al Hilal, which already tried to sign him in 2025, shows that there are alternatives beyond the Premier League. The Portuguese then rejected leaving European football, but his current contractual situation could provoke new offers.

The upcoming weeks will be decisive for Bruno Fernandes. The management will have to present a third offer that improves the rejected conditions or consider activating the additional year before January, while Mauricio Pochettino prepares for his arrival on the bench.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Bruno Fernandes tiene un pie fuera del Manchester United