Bruno Fernandes has rejected a new contract at Manchester United against the turbulent backdrop of the departure of head coach Michael Carrick.
The Manchester United captain publicly questioned the former manager's tactics after his side's Champions League thrashing at the hands of Como, and has struggled to find form this season.
Discussions are believed to have started between Fernandes and Man United over the summer, on the heels of a strong campaign which saw him named Men's PFA Player of the Year.
But after an initial proposal from the club is thought to have been rejected by the midfield talisman, Fernandes has now snubbed a second deal with improved terms, in what could be an early headache for incoming manager Mauricio Pochettino.
The Portuguese international's contract is set to expire in June 2027, which means that if the club and player fail to agree fresh terms, Fernandes will be free to discuss a summer move with clubs abroad as early as the January transfer window.
The club may yet seek to trigger the 12-month extension in Fernandes' contract, but will continue talks over aspects including his salary and the length of his new deal as they are keen for him to stay.
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| Bruno Fernandes has rejected a second set of terms from Manchester United as the club seeks to pin him down to a new deal |
Man United currently sit in the relegation zone after a 40-year worst-ever start to the season, and announcing a new deal for Fernandes might have given the club an important boost of morale during a difficult international break.
Fernandes was brought back into the fold after going through a brief period of being frozen out of Carrick's squad following his incendiary comments following defeat in Italy last month.
Fernandes, who is usually very deliberate in what he says in the media, was scathing in his criticism of coaches after the Como debacle.
'It's a decision from the staff to not press man-to-man and sometimes leave a little space in behind and try to get the ball in the first moment, to wait for them, to give them the ball,' he said.
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| The club captain inked his latest terms in 2024 with his contract set to expire next June |
'But sometimes when you give too much the ball to these teams they get confident, they have so many bodies behind the ball that make you run a lot, make people get frustrated, and then obviously when you recover the ball the legs are, and the brain, much more difficult to make it work.'
His post-Como interview was widely condemned by fans and pundits alike, with Gary Neville lamenting: 'If that's your captain saying that, imagine what they're saying in the dressing room behind closed doors when no one's listening. That's horrific.'
He also told Fernandes to 'read the room' and accused him of being an 'excuse merchant' on his podcast.
Fernandes was left on the bench for Man United's next Premier League appointment, a loss to Bournemouth, before returning to the starting XI against Chelsea the following matchday.
After Man United's comeback win against Roma, Fernandes was defiant in his post-match remarks as he stressed that he had not been sanctioned for undermining Carrick with his initial interview.
'The club needed that win. The players needed that win. It is something we needed as a group of players and staff,' he said. 'We have been working so hard to get out of this situation together. It has been tough. There has been a lot of speculation in the media.
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| Fernandes was publicly critical of his former head coach Michael Carrick last month but was later adamant that he had not held clear-the-air talks with him |
'A lot of lies around many things that have happened at this club, between me and the manager, like that we have cleared the air. Nothing like that happened.
'The manager took a decision of making myself on the bench because I wasn't performing. And that's fair.
'Everyone felt like that was a punishment for the words that I had [after Como]. And if it was, it was right.
'The manager makes the decisions. I have to accept it. I have to go forward with that. It doesn't change the belief I have in the manager, the staff and every player at this club.
'And it doesn't change my aim to win every f***ing game that I have ahead of me.'
Fernandes' sabre-rattling was ultimately unable to keep Carrick in his job however, with the former club captain finally sacked on Thursday after an agonising three-day wait.
Man United's hierarchy, notably chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox, have come under fire from the fanbase and within the club for their treatment of the departing coach, with Carrick taking two days of training at Carrington as they mulled his sacking.
Wilcox and Berrada jetted to Monaco earlier this week to meet with Ineos chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe and discuss the departure of Carrick, with the club's Glazer ownership ratifying the decision to replace him with United States national team coach Pochettino.
Daily Mail Sport reported on Thursday evening that staff members inside the club have been upset with the protracted sacking, which has been deemed disrespectful of Carrick's status as a club legend.
- TAMARA PRENN
