‘Man United transfer plans turned on their head by Bruno Fernandes latest’
Man United may have to alter their transfer plans this summer after Bruno Fernandes’ transfer to Al Hilal collapsed.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson revealed that the Red Devils may have been looking to “cash in” on the Portuguese midfielder.
Fernandes was once again United’s standout player last season, scoring 19 goals and assisting 18 in all competitions.
But having failed to qualify for European competition next season, the 20-time champions of England find themselves in an uncomfortable position financially.
United have made several hundred staff redundant since the summer of 2024, and could be at risk of failing the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR).
Having finished 15th in the Premier League last term, the Red Devils have made a fast start to the transfer window, signing Matheus Cunha from Wolves.
Pete O’Rourke also revealed exclusively to Football Insider that United are expected to acquire Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford.
Man United in tricky PSR position after Bruno Fernandes sale falls through
Despite their early business, United may have to take a pause and readdress their transfer plans after Fernandes rejected a move to Al Hilal.
Speaking on the latest Insider Track, Robinson revealed that the club’s captain might have been a player the Red Devils were looking to cash in on.
“Potentially, maybe it was a player that they were looking to cash in at that level,” the ex-England goalkeeper told Football Insider.
“I mean, there’s the Saudi Pro League, as you know, I cover it regularly, and it’s a league that’s getting stronger, and the recruitment drive this summer is going to be huge.
“We’ll see Al Hilal in the Club World Cup, and they’ll give people who have not watched this league an indication as to the strength of the league and how much better they’re getting.
“Obviously, they’ve moved Neymar on, they’ve got players like Ruben Neves, Joao Cancelo, [Kalidou] Koulibaly, and [Aleksandar] Mitrovic has been their best player.
“They’re a really strong outfit who are financially very capable of buying anybody that they want to.
“It’ll be a blow for them, not getting Bruno Fernandes and, I think, for Manchester United, if they were looking for that to balance the FFP and PSR, it may have an impact on their future signings, or they may have to, you know, cut their cloth accordingly.”
Man United transfer business grinds to a halt
Having shelled out £62.5million [Sky Sports] for Cunha, and with Mbeumo‘s fee expected to be in a similar ballpark, United have added two fantastic pieces to their attack.
However, for any more business to happen, the Red Devils find themselves in stasis, waiting for other teams to make a move for their highly compensated but unwanted stars.
Marcus Rashford, Antony, Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho, and Kobbie Mainoo are a few of the many expendable players still on United’s books.
The issue is, their high wages make them unattainable for many clubs, and many of those players’ reputations precede them. Chelsea, for instance, looked at Garnacho in January, but were concerned about his attitude.
Unless United can find a solution and shift on most, if not all, of the above-mentioned stars, their transfer business will likely grind to a halt.