Louis Saha has admitted that the situation surrounding Bruno Fernandes at Manchester United is “crazy,” but his former teammate Paul Scholes has a different view.
Bruno Fernandes could be on the move this summer, with Al-Hilal reportedly interested in signing the Manchester United captain amid growing speculation about his future.
He joined United from Sporting CP in January 2020 after three outstanding years in Portugal and has since been a standout performer in every team he’s played for—even when sharing the pitch with stars like Raphaël Varane and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Under Ole Gunnar Solskjær, Fernandes played a more advanced role, almost as a second striker, scoring 12 goals in just 22 games in his first half-season. Erik ten Hag then deployed him as a central creator in a 4-2-3-1, where United’s attacking play largely revolved around him.
Now at United under Rúben Amorim, Fernandes has often played deeper in a double pivot with Casemiro or Manuel Ugarte. Even so, he’s delivered an exceptional return this season with 19 goals and 18 assists in 57 appearances.
Saha admits he cannot believe the Fernandes situation
Al-Hilal’s offer to Fernandes is a contract that would reportedly treble his current income at United, with the club set to receive a bit of between £80-100 million, depending on which reports you believe.
Considering the influx of cash United would get for Fernandes, the question has been posed that the Reds should take the offer and use the money to secure several other quality players for Amorim, although former United striker Louis Saha is adamant that this is a “crazy” suggestion to make.
“It’s a crazy situation,” Saha insisted. “When the club should be doing all they can to keep Bruno Fernandes, they have given off an entirely different impression. They only care about saving money and avoiding further restrictions with FFP. United have been ruthless with the staff. They don’t care about anything else.
“I don’t know the exact details, but missing out on the Champions League is a huge blow to attract other players, but the club still needs to overhaul the squad. The problem is, I don’t know where Bruno fits in that, because he’s one of the world’s best.
“I can tell he loves the Premier League and doesn’t want to leave, but I can also tell that he wants to be in the Champions League, or in the Europa League at the very least, but now, they can’t offer him anything.
“So now, I can see both sides of the coin. Fernandes is someone who is ready to sacrifice everything for the club, and that even means he’s willing to move if the right offer comes in for him, and he’s giving United all the cards. He’s giving them what they need in any way he can.
“And that’s the difference between him and the other players. I want them to be willing to sacrifice for the club, to put their heads down and commit to improving the situation at the club.
“Instead, they put their egos first, and lose focus on the pitch. Forget what interests you off it, and I wonder if Fernandes’ statement is for him to show the rest of the squad the level of determination and sacrifice that he is expecting from them.”
Scholes likes the idea of selling Fernandes this summer
However, Saha’s former teammate Paul Scholes has disagreed, explaining earlier this week that he believes United should accept the offer if they can secure around £100 million for the player.
Read More: Rúben Amorim has ‘approved sale of key midfielder’ as Manchester United set £8.5m transfer fee
“They are talking about £100 million for him. Man United cannot say no to that,” Scholes explained.
“I know he has been brilliant and carried the team on his back, but where does he actually play, what is his position? Do you see him as a number 10? Do you see him as a holding midfielder?
“He almost confuses the whole system. I mean, he has been brilliant, don’t get me wrong. But when you’re getting 100 million for him, you snap your hands and take it.”
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