Man Utd Told They Must Pay £400,000 A Week If They Still Want “Truly Great Player”

BACK David Tully Jan 27th 2026 Man Utd may need to offer captain Bruno Fernandes a new contract worth £400,000 a week if they want to keep him beyond the summer, according to reports. The Portuguese international will still have a year remaining on his current deal at the end of the season, and the Red Devils do have the option to extend his stay for another twelve months as well. However, Fernandes has suggested that he will be considering his future after the World Cup, and Saudi Pro League clubs are circling. He rejected one proposal from Al-Hilal last summer, although he has subsequently expressed dismay about how United handled the situation. Why is Fernandes demanding so much? The Mirror claim that the 31-year-old sees this as the last big payday of his career, and he is aware of the interest from the Middle East. In addition to Al-Hilal, it is believed that both Al-Ittihad and Al-Nassr may try to sign Fernandes too, so the midfielder is expected to be inundated with lucrative proposals. With that being the case, United will have to try and match offers from these clubs if they want him to stay at Old Trafford. Can Man Utd afford the pay rise? The short answer is ‘yes’. Two of the club’s highest earners could leave when this campaign is over. Casemiro takes home £350,000 a week (which is £50,000 more than Fernandes currently earns), and the Brazilian’s departure has already been confirmed. Harry Maguire’s contract also expires at the end of June, and if he doesn’t put pen to paper on an extension, that would free up another £190,000 a week. A lot will depend on how much the club values Fernandes. Speaking back in October, Sofyan Amrabat was effusive in his praise of his former teammate: “He’s a truly great player, truly top-notch. Is he my best teammate ever? I’ve played with a lot of good players, and I don’t want to discredit anyone, but he was truly fantastic. He was also a good guy, very helpful, and a real winner.” Fernandes’s talent will only be part of the equation, though. He will be 32 in September, so the Red Devils will also have to decide whether handing a sizeable contract to an ageing player is the right move. Want more news on Man Utd? Add Man U News as a preferred source on Google David Tully David has worked as a football reporter for the last fifteen years. Having started as an intern at Snack Media, he then went on to become a freelancer, working on various different sites. At the start of 2023, he took up his current role as content writer for the Football News Network.