Amidst the turmoil at Manchester United, captain Bruno Fernandes has rejected a second contract offer from his club, casting his future at Old Trafford in doubt.
NEW DELHI — Amidst the turmoil at Manchester United, captain Bruno Fernandes has rejected a second contract offer from his club, casting his future at Old Trafford in doubt.
Man United have been going through a tough phase as they have sacked coach Michael Carrick after a challenging run this season. They are already in the relegation zone at the second international break in the Premier League this season.
Adding more worry for the fans and the incoming boss Mauricio Pochettino, Fernandes' rejection brings further tensions. As reported by Sky Sports, the Portuguese international has rejected the second contract offer.
His tenure at Old Trafford is till June 2027, and the club had made the initial proposal in the summer. United still hold an option to extend Fernandes' stay with the club for another year and stop him from indulging in free transfer talks with foreign clubs.
Fernandes was named FWA Footballer of the Year last May, and was also the PFA Player of the Year last season. He made a record 21 assists in the previous Premier League, which were the most in a single edition.
However, his form has dropped, and he has just four goals, including a hat-trick against Ipswich Town, which is United's only win in the English top flight this season.
The Portugal international was also dropped to the bench by Carrick for their game against Bournemouth after he made public comments to criticise the coaches' tactics after the loss to Como in the Champions League.
"It's a decision from the staff to not press man to man and sometimes leave a bit of space in behind and then try to get the ball in the first moment to wait for them, to give them the ball," the Portuguese captain told TNT Sports, via The Mirror, after that loss.
"But sometimes when you give too much of the ball (away) to these teams, they get confident, they have so many bodies behind the ball that make you run a lot, which makes people get frustrated. And then, when we recover the ball, the legs and the brain are much more difficult to make it work."
The report further added that the talks between Fernandes and the club are expected to continue as United want their captain to remain with them.