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Ruben Amorim's AC Milan is among the clubs reportedly "keen" on Manchester United skipper Bruno Fernandes, whose future is approaching a significant turning point.
Fernandes is now in the final year of the three-year deal he penned in 2024, though the contract contains an option to extend by a further 12 months through the summer of 2028.
The Portuguese star is coming off a record-setting campaign in which he tallied 21 Premier League assists, eclipsing a single-season benchmark that had stood for 23 years. He turns 32 early next month yet shows no indication of declining form.
Fernandes's style of play has evolved since a three-season stretch as a prolific midfield goalscorer—spanning his final 18 months at Sporting CP and his opening 18 months in Manchester, he accumulated 88 goals across all competitions. Most forwards would have been satisfied with that tally.
Last season yielded just nine goals—worth noting that the club played its fewest games in 111 years—making it his lowest-scoring campaign since 2016–17 at Sampdoria. However, his assists and overall creativity soared. Beyond that, Fernandes has developed into an outstanding leader both on and off the pitch, earning widespread respect and admiration throughout the club.
Trio 'Keen' on Triggering Fernandes Release Clause
BBC Sport reports that, alongside Milan, both Juventus and Galatasaray have also shown considerable interest in Fernandes. His contract contains a release clause set at $76.8 million (£57 million), though it is not accessible to clubs within England.
Should a club from Serie A, Türkiye's Süper Lig, or another overseas league activate the clause, Fernandes would face a pivotal choice. Any offer below that fixed figure would demand a response—and possibly negotiations—but it "remains to be seen how United react if a bid is received."
There is no indication that Fernandes will depart during what remains of this summer window.
The contract option also means that, even without a new agreement in place, there is added protection against the prospect of free agency next summer. There is equally no suggestion he has any desire to leave—quite the contrary, as the same BBC report reaffirms that his wish is to remain, "potentially for the rest of his career."
However, when contract extension talks arise, Fernandes could reasonably expect to become Old Trafford's top earner given his undeniable impact. This season, following a 25% wage increase tied to Champions League qualification, his annual salary stands at a reported $16.8 million (£12 million). Marcus Rashford is earning close to $23 million (£17 million).
Fernandes has become what Manchester United had hoped Paul Pogba would develop into when the Frenchman arrived in a then-world record—still a club record—transfer in 2016. Pogba displayed glimpses of that dual-threat midfield leadership, albeit in a slightly deeper role, but was later hampered by injuries and departed without fanfare.
Man Utd Would Struggle to Find Another Bruno Fernandes
Fernandes has followed an unconventional career trajectory. The Porto-born midfielder was never nurtured by one of Portugal's 'big three'—Porto, Benfica or Sporting CP—at youth level, and left his homeland at 17 to pursue a professional career in Italy's Serie B. He progressed through Udinese and Sampdoria, neither of which were top-tier forces, before returning to Portugal in 2017 when Sporting came calling.
Even so, making a sustained impact in one of Europe's top five leagues has frequently eluded high-profile Primeira Liga exports—Darwin Núñez being a recent case in point. Yet Fernandes has barely missed a step over seven years and counting, even within a comparatively weaker Manchester United side by the standards of the previous three decades.
He was something of a rare find on the market, and Liverpool's $156 million acquisition of Florian Wirtz represents the kind of investment United would likely need to make for a replacement—unless the club opts to take a chance on a younger talent with star potential, or shifts its tactical setup so that goal creation becomes primarily the responsibility of other positions.