
Fernandes exit would unlock transfer war chest at man utd - but it cannot happen
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"Sometimes life is just unfair, you deserved more," wrote Miguel Pinho after the Europa League final. A week later, Pinho held discussions with Al-Hilal about a potential transfer
for his client. Pinho was pictured in Saudi Arabia, where he met with Al-Hilal representatives to discuss their interest in Bruno Fernandes, who is considering leaving Old Trafford this
summer. There were murmurs of interest in Fernandes a few weeks ago and Al-Hilal have stepped up their pursuit. They have cash to burn after missing out on Mohamed Salah and Fernandes has
been identified as the perfect alternative. The money on the table is mouthwatering. The potential transfer fee is said to be in the region of £100million and Fernandes could earn £21million
per year over a four-year contract. Fernandes will turn 31 in September and it would be the final bumper contract of his career. The huge money on offer has been enough to lure world-class
footballers to Saudi Arabia and Fernandes could be the next. United have just finished 15th in the Premier League, they were defeated in the Europa League final and won't play European
football next season. Fernandes has no reason to stick around. Loyalty does not exist in modern football, and it would be naive and unfair to expect Fernandes to remain in Manchester purely
because he has spent a large chunk of his career at United. The United captain has given his best years to the club and hasn't got much in return. The Premier League has never been
within his grasp and he's won the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, so his agent was right when he posted on social media. Fernandes certainly deserves better. It would be an immeasurable blow to
lose Fernandes, but nobody would blame him if he walks away this summer. Fernandes has been the standard-setter in the dressing room since his arrival from Sporting Lisbon in 2020 and most
teammates haven't lived up to those standards. "I have always been honest. I've always said I will be here until the club says to me that it's time to go," said
Fernandes when he spoke to journalists after the Europa League final. "I'm eager to do more, to be able to bring the club the great days. In the day that the club thinks that
I'm too much or it's time to part ways, football is like this, you never know it. "But I've always said it and I keep my word in the same way. If the club thinks
it's time to part ways because they want to do some cashing in or whatever, it's what it is, and football sometimes is like this." United chiefs might find it difficult to
turn down a huge offer from Al-Hilal and, in some ways, it would make sense to cash in considering the fee being mentioned for a 30-year-old player. That money could be reinvested and
provide Ruben Amorim with a war chest to play with in the summer transfer window, but Fernandes is not an ordinary player and United cannot be trusted to reinvest wisely. United's
shocking record in the transfer market does not inspire confidence that strong signings would offset Fernandes' departure, which is exactly why he must be kept this summer. Although the
worst season in the club's modern history has just ended, there will be more pain if Fernandes leaves for Al-Hilal. Fernandes offers just as much away from the pitch as he does on it.
He is an example to young players, he trains well and has tight relationships with all different kinds of staff at Carrington, so moral could be an issue if he departed. It felt like the
situation couldn't get worse at Old Trafford, but maybe it can.