Manchester United’s ‘future £100m’ star could be the perfect replacement for Fernandes

If this is the end for Bruno Fernandes at Manchester United, it will be his exit in style.

The 31-year-old, whose future is uncertain heading into the summer, has once again returned to his impressive personal best in this number 10 role, with six assists in his last five league and cup games.

It’s not like the Portuguese star has slowed down before, but his desire to stick with a 3-4-2-1 and slot Fernandes deep into midfield seems to have made Ruben Amorim look pretty foolish.

When this team needs a moment of magic, the captain steps up, whether it’s his delightfully inventive assist in stoppage time against Fulham, his stunning shot for Harry Maguire at Anfield or his powerful free-kick to equalize against Bournemouth.

This guy is working like a master, as he has for most of the past six years, but for how long?

Why Manchester United needs to give Fernandes a new contract

On a side note, there may have been some at Old Trafford, both in the crowd and at board level, who were open to signing Fernandes over the summer, with the playmaker closing in on a potential £100m move to Al Hilal.

While this was undoubtedly an attractive price for a player entering his 30s, there was also a thorny question mark over whether his compatriot would actually be a good fit for Amorim’s system.

Thankfully, Amorim is by all accounts crucial in keeping Fernandes in the squad, and rightly so, with the United captain already showing his influence this season with 12 assists in the Premier League.

His constant presence was a constant, but there was also a nagging intrigue as to what this team would be without him.

Now, his last three game absences showed that the Red Devils in particular were being pushed by both Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leeds United, and looked to be lacking ideas in both of the 1-1 stalemates.

This is Fernandes’ team and despite the big investments in the summer, he should stay and the INEOS regime needs to ignore finances and give the midfield a new contract extension.

Perhaps the player himself would urge him to leave regardless, with only 18 months left on his contract, but if he’s being made to feel loved and appreciated, why would he want to go elsewhere?

That said, if last summer is any indication, INEOS will not be afraid to be ruthless if they wish and will hand over the task of replacing him to a new permanent coach.

Manchester United may already have a replacement for wildcard Fernandes

The obvious and most immediate replacement for Fernandes in the current squad may be Mason Mount, but the 27-year-old’s future should be under threat after three injury-plagued seasons at Old Trafford.

Matheus Cunha is also a maverick like Fernandes and boasts match-winning qualities, but perhaps lacks the real control as a central player, although much of his best work to date has come from the left flank under both Amorim and Michael Carrick.

With the signing of at least two new holding midfielders, the wild card candidate to fill the captaincy void is likely to be young Koby Mainu, with the 20-year-old showing glimpses of why he could develop into a higher slot.

Indeed, Carrick has previously viewed the England international as more of an “attacker” than a deep midfielder, suggesting the academy product has the ability to run the game in Fernandes’ style.

There’s no question that Mainu needs to be more creative after failing to create a single “big chance” in his limited playing time this season, but he certainly has the tools to do so.

Against Fulham, for example, United’s future “£100m-plus footballer”, as writer Alex Turk raved, provided a glimpse of his abilities in that department when he fired a stunning Fernandes-esque ball over the top that almost found the advancing Brian Mbeumo.

In the earlier win over Arsenal, Mainu showed why he and Fernandes were almost on a different wavelength than their colleagues, linking up brilliantly in the build-up to Cunha’s stunning late goal.

While not blessed with the speed or mobility of Fernandes, Mainu does have real control, losing the ball on average only 4.3 times per game this season.

Similarly, in an era when Fernandes’ magic reigned supreme, perhaps the bigger moments came from Mainou’s boots, whether it was that last-gasp curler at Molineux, the clincher in the FA Cup final or the decisive strike in last season’s thriller at Lyon.

Throw into the mix the youngster’s impressive performance against Liverpool in 2023-24, and he has amassed quite a catalog, further evidence of why unleashing him into a number 10 role, or even a more advanced midfield role, could be a masterstroke.

For a long time, this team has been Fernandes’ team, but if he leaves, Mainu should be the next long-term addition.