Manchester United must reignite their interest in one star they already know is “perfect” for Rúben Amorim if Bruno Fernandes were to leave this summer.
Bruno Fernandes’ future at Manchester United is in serious doubt following a mega offer from Saudi Pro League Al-Hilal this summer.
According to various reports, the Middle Eastern club have laid down an offer of around £700,000 a week for the Portuguese international, and are ready to pay whatever it takes to sign him from Rúben Amorim.
Furthermore, it has been reported that if Fernandes accepts the offer, Al-Hilal will initiate the bidding process at around £85 million. However, United are adamant that they do not wish to sell.
Al-Hilal is said to have given the player a deadline of next Friday to make his final decision, at which point, if he does not accept, they will rescind the offer.
Replacing Fernandes is not a like-for-like matter
United could feasibly fetch over £100 million for Fernandes this summer if he chooses to leave and they play their cards correctly, but replacing him is not about finding a like-for-like player.
The 30-year-old is a genuinely unique profile across world football, being one of the few who have survived across multiple managers at Old Trafford.
He can play as a deep midfielder, as a No. 8, out wide, and in the attack, and has also found success as an auxiliary centre-forward at the club under former boss Erik ten Hag.
However, he is not a player United would be able to replace with someone similar, as very few exist who are just like him. Instead, the club would be better off spending the money received from Fernandes’ sale on multiple profiles better suited to the way Amorim deploys his side at Old Trafford.
United already know the “perfect” player
Earlier this window, United were linked with Danish sensation Morten Hjulmand, who has been on the club’s radar since before the 2024 European Championships, where he scored a stunning goal against England.
It has been previously reported that those at United see the 25-year-old as a “perfect” player for Amorim, having played 65 times under the 40-year-old while the pair were together at Sporting CP.
Amorim is well-documented to have demanded that the club sign an athletic and physical presence in midfield this summer. With a £67 million release clause in his contract, Hjulmand could be the perfect start to replacing Fernandes at United.
Although he would not be able to replicate the club captain’s presence in the final third, he would be able to provide so much extra security in the middle of the park and across the back line.
Having become acutely familiar with Amorim’s system at Sporting, he would also provide the back line with much-needed extra cover, allowing United to benefit from selling Fernandes and freeing them up to spend the rest of the money raised from sales on attacking reinforcements.
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